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Ain't Gonna Study War No More: The Story of America's Peace Seekers
The Story of America’s Peace Seekers
While terrorists kill in pursuit of their goals, there are people whose goal is never to kill, no matter what the situation. Here, Milton Meltzer explores Americans’ long tradition of pacifism. From the Quakers of colonial times to the conscientious objectors of Vietnam, Americans have risked much to stand against violence in any and every form. First published in 1985, Ain’t Gonna Study War No More is now fully updated and revised by the author.
While terrorists kill in pursuit of their goals, there are people whose goal is never to kill, no matter what the situation. Here, Milton Meltzer explores Americans’ long tradition of pacifism. From the Quakers of colonial times to the conscientious objectors of Vietnam, Americans have risked much to stand against violence in any and every form. First published in 1985, Ain’t Gonna Study War No More is now fully updated and revised by the author.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
About the author
Milton Meltzer
159 books23 followersMilton Meltzer wrote 110 books, five of which were nominated for the National Book Award. With Langston Hughes, he co-authored A Pictorial History of Black Americans, now in its sixth edition. He received the 2001 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his contribution to children's literature, the 1986 Jane Addams Peace Association Children's Book Award, and the 2000 Regina Medal. He died in New York City of esophageal cancer at age 94.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 26, 2018
The cover of the book, and its internal format, large type, markets this as a young adult book for Grade 6 and up. This means school kids, and while I think this subject should fit in all US school curricula, adults should read it too. This book does not talk down to anybody, unlike some popular YA books.
There are not many books dedicated to this subject. This is quite short but not sweet. I have many quibbles on details, but they are minor compared to the important stuff. The chapter added in 2002 to the 1985 original is very weak, and should not be used to judge the entire book.
This is a history of the antiwar movement in USA. It is not a chronicle of the depravity of the US war machine, which would take a much longer book just to give an overview.
There are not many books dedicated to this subject. This is quite short but not sweet. I have many quibbles on details, but they are minor compared to the important stuff. The chapter added in 2002 to the 1985 original is very weak, and should not be used to judge the entire book.
This is a history of the antiwar movement in USA. It is not a chronicle of the depravity of the US war machine, which would take a much longer book just to give an overview.
February 23, 2011
Ain’t Gonna Study War No More: The Story of America’s Peace Seekers
Milton Meltzer
The information in this book on the history of pacifism will not be easily found in any other single source. This is a very readable history text that was initially intended for a middle and high school audience but is now useful for all ages; it has an index and bibliography. In the dark shadows of Iraq and Afghanistan, this book and pacifism warrant increased attention. Ain’t Gonna Study War No More is available through online used book sources for a reasonable price as low as $1.
Ain’t Gonna Study War No More is a revered text in the war resistance movement. It begins by reviewing in some detail the history of pacifism in the American colonies and during the American Revolution when many Quakers and other pacifists opposed the war and refused to participate.
Milton Meltzer traces the anti-war movement through the Nuclear Freeze era of the early 1980s and the massive peace march calling for nuclear disarmament in NYC on June 12, 1982. The history of conscientious objection in the U.S. includes that fact that the phrase “but no person religiously scrupulous shall be compelled to bear arms” was stricken from the proposed Second Amendment to the Constitution by a 24 to 22 vote. The role of pacifists is traced in the War of 1812, the 1828 American Peace Society, the 1846 Mexican War (and Thoreau’s civil disobedience), and the challenged pacifism of the Civil War when opposition to slavery urged many pacifists to participate in the war.
Meltzer (1915 – 2009) wrote over fifty books in the fields of history, biography, and social reform. He began writing for the WPA during the Great Depression. Ain’t Gonna Study War No More was originally published in 1985 and then by a second publisher in 2002.
As a history of pacifism, the book ends weakly with a brief discussion of deterrence and the Soviet threat. Deterrence, sometimes called MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction), is the theory that if both sides have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the other, the weapons will not be used. And while there was earlier discussion of nonviolent defenses to invasion, Melton falls back on “The fact of a Soviet threat . . . cannot be denied” to support the need for nuclear deterrence.
The strength of the book is its readable, summarized history that illuminates the potential of pacifism. It helps one to think about how pacifism and nonviolent direct action might make a difference in the future based on its past impact in the U.S. While it does not leave me optimistic about the outcome, it is important to know the history of pacifism to maintain it as an option. For more about The Politics of Nonviolent Action, see the work of Gene Sharp. Another “how to” book about nonviolent revolution is Moving Toward a New Society. While you may find these books on the shelves of your local peace center, you will probably want your own copies! They are all available at online used book sellers for very reasonable prices.
Milton Meltzer
The information in this book on the history of pacifism will not be easily found in any other single source. This is a very readable history text that was initially intended for a middle and high school audience but is now useful for all ages; it has an index and bibliography. In the dark shadows of Iraq and Afghanistan, this book and pacifism warrant increased attention. Ain’t Gonna Study War No More is available through online used book sources for a reasonable price as low as $1.
While terrorists kill in pursuit of their goals, there are people whose goal is never to kill, no matter what the situation. These Americans' long tradition of pacifism is explored. From the Quakers of colonial times to the conscientious objectors of Vietnam, Americans have risked much to stand against violence in any and every form. An ALA Notable Children's Book.
Source: http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qis...
Ain’t Gonna Study War No More is a revered text in the war resistance movement. It begins by reviewing in some detail the history of pacifism in the American colonies and during the American Revolution when many Quakers and other pacifists opposed the war and refused to participate.
We forget how many immigrants came to America to escape conscription in their homeland. They wanted to live in a country that would not force them into military service. They were among the immigrants who arrived in the earliest years of white settlement in the American colonies. Some were pacifist by conviction, opposed to war or violence of any kind. Others were weary of the wars of the Old World, when men were forced into military service, often for many long years. In the New World they hoped to live in peace.
Milton Meltzer traces the anti-war movement through the Nuclear Freeze era of the early 1980s and the massive peace march calling for nuclear disarmament in NYC on June 12, 1982. The history of conscientious objection in the U.S. includes that fact that the phrase “but no person religiously scrupulous shall be compelled to bear arms” was stricken from the proposed Second Amendment to the Constitution by a 24 to 22 vote. The role of pacifists is traced in the War of 1812, the 1828 American Peace Society, the 1846 Mexican War (and Thoreau’s civil disobedience), and the challenged pacifism of the Civil War when opposition to slavery urged many pacifists to participate in the war.
Meltzer (1915 – 2009) wrote over fifty books in the fields of history, biography, and social reform. He began writing for the WPA during the Great Depression. Ain’t Gonna Study War No More was originally published in 1985 and then by a second publisher in 2002.
“Meltzer was one of the first in a new wave of nonfiction writers who brought lively and passionate writing, grounded in original source material, to middle-grade students and young adults, without talking down to them,” said Lisa Von Drasek, the children’s librarian at the Bank Street College of Education in New York and an expert in the field.
. . .
In 2001, Mr. Meltzer, who wrote nearly 100 books for children, received the American Library Association’s Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for his contribution to children’s literature. Five of his works were National Book Award finalists.
. . .
Mr. Meltzer was a self-trained historian. The fact that he never graduated from college (he quit school during the Depression to help support his family) proved no barrier to his vast and varied writing. In fact, it was an impetus. Much of his work is infused with a call for social justice.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/boo...
As a history of pacifism, the book ends weakly with a brief discussion of deterrence and the Soviet threat. Deterrence, sometimes called MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction), is the theory that if both sides have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the other, the weapons will not be used. And while there was earlier discussion of nonviolent defenses to invasion, Melton falls back on “The fact of a Soviet threat . . . cannot be denied” to support the need for nuclear deterrence.
The strength of the book is its readable, summarized history that illuminates the potential of pacifism. It helps one to think about how pacifism and nonviolent direct action might make a difference in the future based on its past impact in the U.S. While it does not leave me optimistic about the outcome, it is important to know the history of pacifism to maintain it as an option. For more about The Politics of Nonviolent Action, see the work of Gene Sharp. Another “how to” book about nonviolent revolution is Moving Toward a New Society. While you may find these books on the shelves of your local peace center, you will probably want your own copies! They are all available at online used book sellers for very reasonable prices.
September 4, 2011
though I had to return this book to the library before I could finish it, what I read was very well put together. It follows the history of anti-war activist and other pacifist sects. It also presents the problems and arguements for war that many of the peace-seekers faced. I especially found the responses that the pacifist gave to be logical and thought provoking ( even to the wars like the civil war and WW 2). My only qualm with the book is that it stops around 1984 and doesn't include today's modern day warfare.
September 27, 2015
I realized partway through this book that it was written for young readers. But I enjoyed its history of American pacifism nonetheless, especially in its account of colonial sensibilities.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews