Revolution in the Air

Revolution in the Air chronicles the New Communist Movement that emerged from the radical politics of 1960s America. The book follows activists who turned to revolutionary Marxist ideologies, particularly those influenced by Mao, Lenin, and Che Guevara. Elbaum documents the formation, evolution, and eventual decline of various organizations within this movement through extensive research and firsthand accounts. The text maps the complex relationships between these groups and their attempts to build a new revolutionary party in the United States. The book presents a comprehensive examination of how international events and theoretical debates shaped the movement's trajectory from the late 1960s through the 1980s. It covers the impact of the Cultural Revolution in China, anti-colonial struggles, and domestic political developments on these American revolutionaries. This historical account raises fundamental questions about the relationship between radical ideologies and practical political organizing in American society. The narrative illuminates tensions between revolutionary theory and practice that remain relevant to social movements today.

Readers describe this as a detailed history of the New Communist Movement of the 1960s-1980s, based on first-hand accounts and extensive research. Readers appreciated: - Thorough documentation and sourcing - Personal insights from someone who participated in the movement - Clear explanations of complex political theories and splits between groups - Balanced treatment of successes and failures - Relevance to current left-wing organizing Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style - Too much focus on organizational minutiae - Limited coverage of certain regions and groups - Some perceived bias in analysis of certain factions Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (176 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (31 ratings) Sample review: "Invaluable historical record but sometimes gets lost in the weeds of inter-organizational disputes" - Goodreads reviewer Another notes: "The book's strength is showing how serious activists tried to build real revolutionary organizations, its weakness is getting bogged down in acronyms and factionalism" - Amazon reviewer

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🔸 During the peak of the New Communist Movement in the mid-1970s, an estimated 10,000 activists were involved in various Marxist-Leninist organizations across the United States. 🔸 Author Max Elbaum was himself a participant in the movement he chronicles, having been a member of Line of March, one of the major New Communist organizations active during this period. 🔸 The book's title "Revolution in the Air" comes from Bob Dylan's song "Tangled Up in Blue," reflecting the era's revolutionary zeitgeist that influenced both political and cultural spheres. 🔸 The movement was significantly influenced by international events, particularly the Chinese Cultural Revolution and the Cuban Revolution, which provided models for American activists seeking radical change. 🔸 The research for this book involved over 100 interviews with former movement participants and examination of thousands of documents from more than 50 different revolutionary organizations.