Reviews
[Saving the World from Nuclear War] offers a refreshing retelling of the history of nuclear disarmament and a welcome change from the tendency of nuclear weapons scholarship to focus on the actions of the decision-makers....the book is highly accessible, making it an essential read for young activists and veterans of the peace movement alike.
An immersive and vibrant journey from America's largest anti–nuclear warfare protest to the present day. Meticulously researched and carefully crafted, this book unveils a vital yet neglected timeline and provides a fresh understanding of late twentieth-century pacifist activism. An absolute must-read.
Even a glance at the battle for Ukraine tells us that we desperately need a mass movement for a world free of nuclear weapons. We know we can build such an essential struggle because we did it before. This book is a triumph because it excavates what has been an all-too-hidden history of the struggle for our very species. I simply cannot recommend it enough.
Sometimes we need to look back to find the way forward. Intondi has delivered a gripping account of the people and forces that shaped one of the most important and inspiring episodes in the long struggle against the bomb. He also offers valuable insights about how we can address the existential threats posed by nuclear weapons now and in the future.
Intondi has written a book that shows how social movement rallies and campaigns are not just discrete moments in history. They are created by the relentless organizing of those seeking to make change in the world, and their legacies can impact movement building far into the future.
The beauty of Vincent Intondi's Saving the World from Nuclear War comes from the light he shines on the people behind this historic disarmament rally. Peace activists, civil rights defenders, artists, regular citizens, and even police all come to life in this nuanced portrait. Intondi transports us to New York City on that day and leaves with lessons for today's challenges when the world again stands at a brink of a nuclear war.
When nuclear weapons are only a grim chapter in history, a milestone in the story will be the rally Intondi vividly unpacks here. Learn why providing hope was essential for successful anti-nuclear organizing, and how people overcame the challenges they faced in doing extraordinary things.
As an account of this moment in the history of the anti-nuclear movement, this book is spectacularly successful. Intondi concisely outlines the factors leading up to the demonstration, including the tensions created by its intersectional nature, using a good mixture of oral history interviews, contemporary press coverage, and relevant secondary sources.
Saving the World from Nuclear War establishes the significance of the June 12 rally for the American and international peace movements, both at the time the rally happened and in the ensuing fifty years. As a historian of social justice movements and as someone who attended the disarmament rally, I agree firmly that this rally deserves much more examination and consideration. Intondi employs strong primary sources (especially interviews) and grippingly vivid details to paint a picture of that historic day.
Book Details
Dedication
Abbreviations
Forward
Part I: Setting the Stage
1. Introduction
2. The Movement Awakens
Part II: The Last Dance
3. Planning the Rally
4. June 12, 1982
Part III: Encore
5. The Legacy of June 12th and
Dedication
Abbreviations
Forward
Part I: Setting the Stage
1. Introduction
2. The Movement Awakens
Part II: The Last Dance
3. Planning the Rally
4. June 12, 1982
Part III: Encore
5. The Legacy of June 12th and Beyond
Notes
Bibliography