Cortright, David: Peace: A History of Movements and Ideas. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2008. ISBN 9780521670005; 392 S.; $ 29.99.
Rezensiert für den Arbeitskreis Historische Friedensforschung bei H-Soz-u-Kult von:
Reinhold Lütgemeier-Davin, Kassel
E-Mail: [mailto]luetgemeier-davin@t-online.de[/mailto]
Ein Kompendium zur Friedensgeschichte und Friedensidee aus der Feder eines amerikanischen Friedensaktivisten - Präsident des "Fourth Freedom Forum", Professor am "Institute for International Peace Studies" der University of Notre Dame, mehrfacher UN-Berater für Konflikt-Transformation - lässt profunde Detailkenntnisse über internationale organisatorische Vernetzungen, inhaltliche und strategische Ausrichtungen, weltanschauliche Begründungen und Auseinandersetzungen innerhalb der Friedensbewegung ebenso erwarten wie eine kritische Sichtweise auf peacekeeping- und peacemaking-Aktionen der Vereinten Nationen und ihrer Mitglieder. Zu erwarten ist eine kritische Bewertung des eigenen Landes, der USA, der größten Demokratie, die aber zugleich am meisten in Kriege der Gegenwart involviert ist.
Mit Abstrichen und einigen Vorbehalten löst David Cortright diese Erwartungen an ein Buch ein, das den schlichten, allerdings bestimmten Titel "Peace" trägt, mit dem passenden Peace-Logo der britischen "Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament" auf dem Buchcover - ein internationales Erkennungszeichen für die jeweiligen nationalen Friedensvereinigungen, Anti-Kriegs- und Anti-Apartheitskampagnen auf dem Globus.
"Jesus said", so setzt das Werk ein >>
Howlett, Charles F.; Lieberman, Robbie: A History of the American Peace Movement from Colonial Times to the Present. Lewiston NY: The Edwin Mellen Press 2008. ISBN 978-0-7734-5092-9; 656 p.; $149.95.
Rezensiert für den Arbeitskreis Historische Friedensforschung bei H-Soz-u-Kult von:
Caroline Hoefferle, Department of History, Wingate University
E-Mail: [mailto]choeffer@wingate.edu[/mailto]
A History of the American Peace Movement from Colonial Times to the Present is a remarkable achievement, surveying the entire history of pacifist organizations and leaders in the United States from the beginning of its history to 2006. Moving chronologically from the original peacemakers of the country (Native Americans) through the religious pacifists of the colonial period to the religious and secular non-violent activists for peace and justice in the nineteenth century, to the myriad of peace and justice initiatives of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, Howlett and Lieberman provide us with a comprehensive textbook history of the most important people, organizations, and ideas of American peace history. It should be required reading for any student interested in researching any aspect of peace history in the U.S., as it will place any specific peace worker or institution within its broader historical perspective. Indeed, it should be required reading for any specialist in American history because it fills in gaps usually left by history textbooks which focus primarily on wars and violent events, and usually pay little attention to peace movements. It effectively demonstrates how peace movements have always existed in American history, always opposed militarists and those who advocate violence, and effectively pressured for peace and justice at home and abroad. It also clearly shows the important role that non-violent activists for peace and justice have played throughout American history, not only in ending wars and offering peaceful resolutions to conflict, but also in supporting justice movements, such as the women's rights, workers' rights, and African-American civil rights movements.
In addition to providing a necessary corrective to most surveys of American history and documenting the achievements of peace activists, Howlett and Lieberman provide readers with a number of helpful devices.Their glossary of peace terminology is a brief, but useful explanation of key terms used in the text, and their extensive list of notable peacemakers in American history, along with brief descriptions of their contributions, clearly and concisely conveys this important information.
The introductory chapter provides a historiographical review and discussion of peace activism in general. More important for peace history researchers is the thorough and well-written bibliographic essay at the end of the book. The hundreds of works on American peace history are organized chronologically and thematically, and provide an excellent starting point for anyone interested in researching any topic in this broad field. The authors additionally provide extensive endnotes for each chapter. While most of these are secondary sources, as is expected of most textbooks, many primary sources are also included, indicating the depth of the research involved in completing a work of this magnitude. In addition to these helpful supplements, the authors consistently write in easy-to-read prose, well-suited to a wide audience.