Bertrand Russell's America

Originally published in 1984, this volume documents Bertrand Russell's travels in America covering the period 1945-1970. It is presented in two halves with the first a biographical account of Russell's involvement with the United States, with special reference to the seven visits he made there during this time period. Throughout this section the most representative of Russell's journalistic writings are highlighted and these are presented as full texts in the second half of the book.

This collection is assembled to provide an understanding of Russell's deep and many-sided involvement with the United States during his life. A documented account, it is supplemented with important letters, photographs and newspaper articles.

Autorentext

Ronnie Kasrils and Barry Feinberg also edited Dear Bertrand Russell, a collection of letters between Russell and the general public, whilst they both lived in London as political exiles from South Africa.

Kasrils was a member of the armed-wing of the African National Congress and became its head of military intelligence in 1983. He later became Deputy Minister of Defence in Nelson Mandela's government (1994-99); then held the portfolio of Minister Water Affairs & Forestry (1999-2004) before becoming Minister for Intelligence Services (2004-08) after which he resigned from government. He has since devoted himself to writing, public speaking and international solidarity work, with much attention to the Palestine issue. He has written a memoir, Armed & Dangerous (Jonathan Ball), and The Unlikely Secret Agent (Jacana Media) which won the Alan Paton Award for best non-fiction in South Africa in 2010. Kasrils lives in Cape Town and remains a close friend of Barry Feinberg.

Barry Feinberg worked with the African National Congress and, together with Ronnie Kasrils, became a founding member of Mayibuye, a music and poetry ensemble which traveled Europe galvanizing opposition to the apartheid regime. Between 1966 and 1975 he headed the work in organizing the archives of Bertrand Russell. He later led the informational division of the International Defence & Aid Fund (IDAF), which produced and distributed productions and publications about apartheid. His publications include a volume of his poetry, Gardens of Struggle, an early-reader biography of George Pemba, Painter of the People, and most recently his memoir Time to Tell: An Activists Story.

Inhalt

Introduction Part 1 1. The Atom Bomb 2. American Lectures 1950 3. American Lectures 1951 4. The Grip of Conformity 5. Tributes from America 6. The Russell-Einstein Alliance 7. A Question of American Justice 8. Civil Liberties & the FBI 9. Russell, Khruschev & Dulles 10. Nuclear Disarmament 11. Civil Disobedience 12. Cuban Crisis 13. Rationality of the Arms Race 14. The New York Times & Vietnam 15. The Myth of American Freedom 16. The Kennedy Assassination & Aftermath 17. The Black Revolt 18. Escalation of the Vietnam War 19. War Crimes Tribunal Illustrations Part 2