First published 2004
Jonathan Schell transforms how Americans understand war, politics, and power through four decades of journalism that consistently sees what others miss. His Vietnam dispatches for The New Yorker became The Village of Ben Suc, correctly forecasting the Pentagon's strategic failures years before the war's end. Schell then turned his attention to nuclear weapons, crafting an apocalyptic vision in Fate of the Earth that energized the disarmament movement when it seemed dormant. His political writing revealed how image replaced substance in American governance, a concept now widely accepted but then controversial. Most recently, he documented the emergence of what he calls "the other superpower," an international peace movement that crosses national and class boundaries. This collection spans his entire career, offering readers both historical perspective on the crises America has faced and insight into current challenges. Schell's moral clarity and ability to see beyond conventional wisdom make this essential reading for understanding where America has been and where it might go.
Genres: history, 20th-century, biography-memoir, 21st-century, journalism, current-affairs, activism, american-history
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: moral-clarity
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
376 pages · Paperback · Bold Type Books