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The Long Detour: The History and Future of the American Left
Author(s): James Weinstein (Author)
- Publisher: Basic Books
- Publication Date: 7 May 2003
- Language: English
- Print length: 304 pages
- ISBN-10: 0813341043
- ISBN-13: 9780813341040
Book Description
The author of The Decline of Socialism in America chronicles American socialism from its utopian origins in the nineteenth century through its tumultuous role in changing American society in the twentieth century. 20,000 first printing.
Editorial Reviews
Synopsis
An engaging account of American socialism, past and future, as witnessed by a key historian and founder of one of the modern lefts most important news magazines, In These Times . The Long Detour is an intellectually engaging overview of the history of socialism in the United States and of the continuing relevance of socialist principles today. Historian and journalist James Weinstein, a lifelong socialist and one-time Communist, takes readers from the movement’s early years of utopian communities, through the heyday of engagement with the makers of corporate America, and into the future of a de-industrializing era. He contends that socialism as a political movement was sidetracked when Communist domination of the American left stifled creative social thought and diverted the traditional left into sterile disputes over the true nature of the Soviet Union. And he argues that while real existing socialism which is what the Soviets called their system is dead, the humane social principles articulated by Marx and the leaders of the pre-1917 socialist movement remain vitally important to those on the left who seek to realize the promise of American democracy.
About the Author
James Weinstein is the founding editor and publisher of In These Times magazine, and was the founder of the Socialist Review. He is the author of several books, including The Decline of Socialism in America and The Corporate Ideal in the Liberal State. He lives in Chicago.
