The Folk Singers and the Bureau by Aaron Leonard, Paperback, 9781913462000 | Buy online at The Nile
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The Folk Singers and the Bureau

The Fbi, the Folk Artists and the Suppression of the Communist Party, Usa-1939-1956

Author: Aaron Leonard  

The Folk Singers and the Bureau
Paperback

The first book to document the efforts of the FBI against the most famous American folk singers of the mid-twentieth century, including Woody Guthrie, ‘Sis Cunningham, Pete Seeger, Lee Hays and Burl Ives.

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

Summary

The first book to document the efforts of the FBI against the most famous American folk singers of the mid-twentieth century, including Woody Guthrie, ‘Sis Cunningham, Pete Seeger, Lee Hays and Burl Ives.

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Description

Some of the most prominent folk singers of the twentieth century, including Woody Guthrie, ‘Sis Cunningham, Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Burl Ives, etc., were also political activists with various associations with the American Communist Party. As a consequence, the FBI, along with other governmental and right-wing organizations, were monitoring them, keeping meticulous files running many thousands of pages, and making (and carrying out) plans to purge them from the cultural realm.In The Folk Singers and the Bureau, Aaron J Leonard draws on an unprecedented array of declassified documents and never before released files to shed light on the interplay between left-wing folk artists and their relationship with the American Communist Party, and how it put them in the US government’s repressive cross hairs.At a time of increasing state surveillance and repression, The Folk Singers and the Bureau shows how the FBI and other governmental agencies have attempted to shape and repress American culture.

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Critic Reviews

This is a must-read for music lovers and defenders of civil liberties alike."
"A fascinating understanding of the beginnings of the folk music revival through the lens of the particularly zealous FBI."
"Historically informed and impressively contextualized, The Folk Singers and the Bureau is a dark tale of persecution, paranoia, and valiant resistance to tyranny."
"A valuable and timely study, with new evidence and insights suited to our present moment."

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About the Author

Aaron J. Leonard is a writer and historian with a focus on the history of radicalism and state suppression. He is the author of Heavy Radicals: The FBI's Secret War on America's Maoists and A Threat of the First Magnitude--FBI Counterintelligence & Infiltration: From the Communist Party to the Revolutionary Union. He is contributor to the History News Network, Jacobin, and Truthout. He has a BA in History from New York. He lives in Los Angeles.

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Product Details

Publisher
Watkins Media Limited | Repeater Books
Published
8th September 2020
Pages
328
ISBN
9781913462000

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