Overview

Waging Peace dispels lingering myths of the frequently disregarded Vietnam antiwar movement as dominated by a subversive collection of political radicals and countercultural rebels. This comprehensive history defines a broad movement built around a core of liberal and mainstream activists who challenged what they saw as a misguided and immoral national policy. Facing ongoing resistance from the government and its prowar supporters, demonstrators upheld First Amendment rights and effectively countered official rationales for the war. These dissenting patriots frequently appealed to traditional American principles and overwhelmingly used the tools of democracy within conventional boundaries to align the nation's practice with its most righteous vision. This work covers not only the activists and organizations whose coalitions sponsored mass demonstrations and their often-symbiotic allies within the government, but also encompasses international, military, and cultural dissent. Achieving positive if limited impact, the movement was ultimately neither victorious nor defeated.

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9781009643269

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Reviews

'For readers who have studied the antiwar movement you will be surprised that Hall has uncovered so many new interesting characters and events. For new readers on the topic-this is where you begin your reading journey. Mitchell Hall's research is judicious, the writing lucid and exciting, and the conclusions spot on. Waging Peace is a tour de force.' Terry H. Anderson, Texas A&M University and author of The Movement and the Sixties, The Sixties, and Bush's Wars 'Waging Peace deftly pulls together all the varied threads of anti-Vietnam War activism - from radical to conservative, from pacifist to veteran. With this massive undertaking, Mitchell Hall clearly illustrates the pitfalls and promise of big-tent, decentralized organizing.' Amy Rutenberg, author of Rough Draft: Cold War Military Manpower Policy and the Origins of Vietnam-Era Draft Resistance 'Mitchell Hall's magisterial study of the Vietnam anti-war movement easily supplants all earlier publications on this controversial subject. His deep research into official archives and the records of scores of movement groups, coupled with his balanced assessments of their impact, and use of mini-biographies and contemporary music, makes Waging Peace the single best study of the movement.' Melvin Small, author of Antiwarriors: The Vietnam War and the Battle for America's Hearts and Minds

‘For readers who have studied the antiwar movement you will be surprised that Hall has uncovered so many new interesting characters and events. For new readers on the topic-this is where you begin your reading journey. Mitchell Hall’s research is judicious, the writing lucid and exciting, and the conclusions spot on. Waging Peace is a tour de force.’ Terry H. Anderson, Texas A&M University and author of The Movement and the Sixties, The Sixties, and Bush’s Wars ‘Waging Peace deftly pulls together all the varied threads of anti-Vietnam War activism - from radical to conservative, from pacifist to veteran. With this massive undertaking, Mitchell Hall clearly illustrates the pitfalls and promise of big-tent, decentralized organizing.’ Amy Rutenberg, author of Rough Draft: Cold War Military Manpower Policy and the Origins of Vietnam-Era Draft Resistance ‘Mitchell Hall’s magisterial study of the Vietnam anti-war movement easily supplants all earlier publications on this controversial subject. His deep research into official archives and the records of scores of movement groups, coupled with his balanced assessments of their impact, and use of mini-biographies and contemporary music, makes Waging Peace the single best study of the movement.’ Melvin Small, author of Antiwarriors: The Vietnam War and the Battle for America's Hearts and Minds

Author Information

Mitchell K. Hall is Professor of History at Central Michigan University. His publications include The Vietnam War (revised in 2018), The Emergence of Rock and Roll, Crossroads, and Because of Their Faith. He has served as president of the Peace History Society and editor of Peace & Change.

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