When the old left was young : student radicals and America's first mass student movement, 1929-1941 /

Cohen has written the definitive history of the student movement of the 1930s, the largest in American history--larger than the anti-Vietnam movement of the 1960s. He brings to life the campus climate of the period, the complex interrelationships among academic administrators, student radicals and professors, and the saga of key student liberal and radical organizations. The American Student Union and the National Student League are the centerpieces of Cohen's analysis, but other organizations are also discussed. He focuses not only on national groups but on what was happening on the campuses at the time, providing a thorough analysis of the liberal and radical student movements of the period. Another strength is Cohen's interweaving of societal political trends, the complex ideological machinations of such left-wing organizations as the Communist and Socialist parties, and the student groups. He points out that the student movements were influenced by the adult radical groups, and the ideological changes of the Communist party, especially, in the end contributed to decline of the movement. Cohen provides a balanced, nuanced, and extraordinarily thorough analysis of one of the most significant periods in the history of American students and of American higher education. This major historical contribution will be the volume to turn to for insights on student culture and politics in the volatile and fascinating decade of the '30s. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; faculty. P. G. Altbach; SUNY at Buffalo