From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America Hardcover - 2007

Summary

Media reviews

Christopher Finan has given us a marvelously readable account of the struggle for free speech in the United States. Beginning with the birth of the American civil liberties movement during World War I, Finan traces the often grueling battles over free speech in wartime, book censorhip, McCarthyism, and freedom of the press that have marked the gradual evolution of American freedom. It is a story every American should know, for it is our nation's greatest achievement.—Geoffrey R. Stone, author of Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime from The Sedition Act of 1798 to The War on Terrorism

"The Founding Fathers gave us the First Amendment, but we have had to fight for free speech. Radicals, reactionaries, feminists, religious zealots, African Americans, Klansmen, college students, even schoolchildren, have played a role in expanding free speech. They are all present in Chris Finan's colorful narrative, which shows how much progress we have made-and how far we have to go."—Nadine Strossen, President of the American Civil Liberties Union and Professor of Law, New York Law School

"An accessible, thought-provoking history that not only informs, but also engages the reader in participating in the democratic process."—Joyce Meskis, Owner, Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver

"American history is marred by recurrent episodes of hate—Red scares, super-patriotism, fear of sexual expression. Christopher Finan brilliantly paints that record, and shows how courageous Americans have fought for freedom."—Anthony Lewis, author of Gideon's Trumpet and Make No Law

"Concisely detailed and researched, From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act reads like high powered fiction. Characters as diverse as Roger Baldwin, Bernie Sanders, Allen Ginsberg, Fatty Arbuckle, Jane Russell, Anthony Comstock, John Ashcroft, and Dwight Eisenhower share the stage to tell the tale of a nation at odds with its Puritan heritage. "—Kenton Oliver, Intellectual Freedom Committee Chair, the American Library Association

"At a time when America’s freedoms and liberties are under attack in Washington, Finan’s book is a powerful reminder of why we must carry on the fight to preserve the central underpinning of the American democratic system—the right to free and uncensored discourse."—Senator Bernie Sanders

"This is one of the most important—and readable—books written about the price of freedom in a democracy. Do we want to pay for our freedom and security with our free speech? Timely and urgent, this is an essential book for citizens, politicians, and government officials to read and embrace." —Alicia Greene, Olsson's Books & Records, Washington, DC