Alfred A. Knopf
American dreamers; how the left changed a nation.
In this account of the American Left from the 1820s through 2010, Kazin (history, Georgetown U.) clashes with the traditional view of the American Left as a failure and asserts that left-leaning radicals and reformers helped make the US a more humane society, paving the way for equal opportunity for women and minorities, celebration of diversity and sexuality, and anti-authoritarian attitudes. The book begins with a look at the goals and successes of the abolitionists, the women's suffrage movement, and the growth of socialist colonies, then covers labor organizers. Three factions of socialist movements of the 20th century are described, and the paradox of American Communism is examined. Kazin is co-editor of Dissent. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
