Overview

The anti–Vietnam War movement marked the first time in American history that record numbers marched and protested to an antiwar tune—on college campuses, in neighborhoods, and in Washington. Although it did not create enough pressure on decision-makers to end U.S. involvement in the war, the movement's impact was monumental. It served as a major constraint on the government's ability to escalate, played a significant role in President Lyndon B. Johnson's decision in 1968 not to seek another term, and was a factor in the Watergate affair that brought down President Richard Nixon. At last, the story of the entire antiwar movement from its advent to its dissolution is available in Antiwarriors: The Vietnam War and the Battle for America's Hearts and Minds . Author Melvin Small describes not only the origins and trajectory of the anti–Vietnam War movement in America, but also focuses on the way it affected policy and public opinion and the way it in turn was affected by the government and the media, and, consequently, events in Southeast Asia. Leading this crusade were outspoken cultural rebels including Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, as passionate about the cause as the music that epitomizes the period. But in addition to radical protestors whose actions fueled intense media coverage, Small reveals that the anti-war movement included a diverse cast of ordinary citizens turned war dissenter: housewives, politicians, suburbanites, clergy members, and the elderly. The antiwar movement comes to life in this compelling new book that is sure to fascinate all those interested in the Vietnam War and the turbulent, tumultuous 1960s.

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9780842028967

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MATURE IN ITS JUDGEMENTS, PERSUASIVELY ARGUED, AND A CRISPLY WRITTEN ACCOUNT OF A PASSIONATE PERIOD.

In this superb overview of the antiwar movement during the 1960s-1970s, Small again demonstrates his mastery of the literature and his skill in using memorable quotes from both sides to highlight the individuals who changed America and the events that marked that transformation. -- Walter LaFeber, Cornell University, author of America, Russia, & the Cold War, 1945?2001 Antiwarriors is a finely balanced history of the antiwar movement that is mature in its judgments, persuasively argued, and a crisply written account of a passionate period. -- Marilyn B. Young, author of The Vietnam Wars, 1945-1990 A stimulating and balanced exploration of the controversial antiwar movement. Lucid, cogent, and insightful, Antiwarriors is ideal for anyone who wants to know how and why Americans opposed their own government over the long and tragic war in Vietnam. -- Terry Anderson, Texas A&M University, author of The Movement and The Sixties At last, here is a much-needed, long-awaited, and readable survey of manageable, modest length about the history and impact of the anti-Vietnam War movement by a leading historian of the topic and the period. -- Jeffrey Kimball, Miami University, author of Nixon's Vietnam War Antiwarriors would serve as an extremely useful supplement to U.S. survey courses as well as courses on the Vietnam War. Sociologists who study the structure of mass movements, should find the work of interest as well. -- William F. Mugleston, Floyd College Teaching History, Vol. 30, No. 1, Spring 2005

In this superb overview of the antiwar movement during the 1960s-1970s, Small again demonstrates his mastery of the literature and his skill in using memorable quotes from both sides to highlight the individuals who changed America and the events that marked that transformation. -- Walter LaFeber Antiwarriors is a finely balanced history of the antiwar movement that is mature in its judgments, persuasively argued, and a crisply written account of a passionate period. -- Marilyn B. Young, author of The Vietnam Wars, 1945-1990 A stimulating and balanced exploration of the controversial antiwar movement. Lucid, cogent, and insightful, Antiwarriors is ideal for anyone who wants to know how and why Americans opposed their own government over the long and tragic war in Vietnam. -- Terry Anderson, Texas A& M University, author of The Movement and The Sixties At last, here is a much-needed, long-awaited, and readable survey of manageable, modest length about the history and impact of the anti-Vietnam War movement by a leading historian of the topic and the period. -- Jeffrey Kimball, Miami University, author of Nixon's Vietnam War Antiwarriors would serve as an extremely useful supplement to U.S. survey courses as well as courses on the Vietnam War. Sociologists who study the structure of mass movements, should find the work of interest as well. -- William F. Mugleston, Floyd College Teaching History, Vol. 30, No. 1, Spring 2005

Author Information

Melvin Small has taught and lectured about the peace movement for three decades. Past president of the Council on Peace Research in History, he teaches at Wayne State University and is the author of several books on the Vietnam War including Johnson, Nixon, and the Doves and Covering Dissent.

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