Fugitive Days: Memoirs of an Anti-War Activist
by William Ayers
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Book Summary Information
Author: William AyersEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-11-05
ISBN: 0807032778
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Beacon Press
Book Reviews of Fugitive Days: Memoirs of an Anti-War Activist
Book Review: not your typical terrorist
Summary: 5 Stars
A fascinating book from beginning to end. Mr. Ayers begins with a rather heartwarming summary of his formative years growing up in the 50's. This was a unique time, not unlike the idealized recreation of the Ozzie & Harriet show, which us boomers remember well, at least for a white kid in a middle class family. The narrative then jumps to his early years as a community activist (why is this such a dirty word?). From here he moves to his days as a campus activist in the very tumultuous 60's. These kids weren't pot smokers who decided to attend the demonstration on a whim. Many grew up in Quaker families,& were steeped in a peaceful & Christ-like perspective conjoined with a calling to active participation in an attempt to create a more spiritual world. Sound like a lot of fluff? Read it & weep, baby. Our government murdered approximately 1.5 Vietnamese & Cambodian CIVILIANS while perpetrating the Viet Nam war. If you want to finger a terrorist, point to Robert McNamara, Henry Kissinger, Richard Nixon, & a host of others. Following the townhouse explosion, Mr. Ayers takes us underground with the Weathermen, where they spent the next 7 years serving up a violent counterpoint to the U.S. government's conduct of the war & oppression of minorities at home. This part of the book is not a linear retelling of events, but has a dreamlike quality that makes for a fascinating read. Young, impulsive, driven by a spirit of love in spite of the violence, these people were definitely not terrorists. They were young people with character. They were us. If you are an arch conservative, don't bothert picking this book up (I'm sure you won't). Otherwise I think you will love it.
Summary of Fugitive Days: Memoirs of an Anti-War Activist
A gripping memoir of America in the '60s, of idealists turned radicals, and of a life lived on the runIn February 2008, in the heat of the Democratic primary elections, speculations began circulating in the media about a connection between presidential hopeful Barack Obama and Bill Ayers, a former member of the radical 1960s group the Weather Underground. In Fugitive Days, Ayers tells the real story of the defining events of the radical '60s. The book is an eyewitness account of a young pacifist who helped found one of the most radical political organizations in U.S. history, and who consequently lived for ten years as a fugitive. In a new era of antiwar activism and suppression of protest, Fugitive Days is more poignant and relevant than ever.
"For anyone who wants to think hard about the social conflagration the Vietnam War produced in the U.S., and more generally about a citizen's obligations in troubled times, Ayers's powerful, morally charged account of a life and a society in the political balance is provocative reading."
?David Farber, Chicago Tribune
"A memoir that is, in effect, a deeply moving elegy to all those young dreamers who tried to live decently in an indecent world. Ayers provides a tribute to those better angels of ourselves."
?Studs Terkel, author of Working and The Good War
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