Government, Politics, and Protest: Essential Primary Sources

Lerner et al. put together a collection--part of a 10-volume set--of 142 primary source texts and excerpts on government, politics, and protest, including speeches, legislation, magazine and newspaper articles, memoirs, letters, interviews, novels, essays, songs, and works of art from the nineteenth century to the present. The volume emphasizes the global diversity of both the cause and nature of protest. It begins with the First Amendment to the US Constitution, and includes such texts as Martin Luther King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," PETA's "We'd Rather Go Naked" campaign, excerpts about the IRA hunger strikes, and the US Patriot Act. Each text is accompanied by facts about the author, a contextual introduction, a discussion of its significance, and further resources. Also included in the volume are a chronology, about 150 b&w photos, and brief introductions to each of the sections--on protestors and rights; civil and human rights; war and peace; civil liberties and social issues; politics, policy, and dissent; labor, trade, and globalization; sovereignty; and health, environment, and animal rights. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)