An American Adventure in Bookburning: In the Style of 1918

by James J. Martin

Book by Martin, James J. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0879260246
• ISBN13: 9780879260248
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Ralph Myles
• Length: 137 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.5" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

The Will to Be Stupid and Ignorant

James J. Martin's AN AMERICAN ADVENTURE IN BOOKBURNING (AAAB)is instructive on different forms of censorship in "The Land of the Free." This small book is a good start for the uninitiated in learning that in spite of a Bill of Rights, American political leaders and, sad to say, the American people willingly surrendered their birth rights of free speech and free press. Martin presents lists of books that were banned during World War I that were written before Americans entered this useless war. In other words, books about European history and the origins of this war that were written prior to U.S. entry into World War I had to be banned according to government authorities. What is interesting is the willingness of librarians and academics to actively enlist their "expertise" in censoring books and pamphlets that might actually cause Americans to think. Since the British were "allies," books critical of British oppression of Ireland were supressed even though they had nothing to do with World War I. The range of censored books was expanded well beyond anything that had to do with World War I. Martin shows that the efforts to ban books and pamphlets was high-handed and based on bullying dissenters by cowards who had to outnumber any opponent by ten to one before they had the "courage" to use physical violence against peaceful dissenters. One group that caused much discomfort to the official "do-gooders" consisted of dedicated Jehovah's Witnesses. These people wrote pamphlets and books that constently appeared and reappeared in libraries in spite of offical do-gooders' attempts to keeps such "dangerous" materials from their sacred shelves. Martin metnions that just prior to U.S. entry into World War II, publishers supressed books before publication by refusal to permit such books enter the market. Any writer whose work slipped by the publishers faced condemnation or even failed trials for sedition for expressing an honest assessment of events. In other words, censorship prior to and during World War II was based more on prevention of publication rather than suppression during this war. The last section of the AAAB is titled "A Beginner's Manual for Apprentice Book Burners" is worth the price of the book. Martin presents titles of books that are usually not assigned in any academic setting but are well worth reading if one wants to know a fundamentally honest view of politics, history, economics, etc. The titles include books that have been consigned to "The Orwellion Memory Hole" but have been attractive enough to have survived either censorship and neglect. This reviewer has many of these books and finds them well written and informative. The tragic aspect of this is that the American people actually tolerate and even support being imposed upon when there are drives to keep them ingorant. This is particularly sad among people who are supposed to take pride in their freedom and civil liberties. What Martin makes clear is that too

Forgotten History

One of the results of the anti-German hate fest that swept the U.S during WWI was the American government's attempt to ban as "German propaganda",certain books about the origins of that war and related issues.As Martin goes through the list of banned books,it will become obvious that calling any of the books "German propaganda" was quite a stretch.This is an important book about an episode of American history that is now almost entirely forgotten.