Description
Book SynopsisExplores the public role of the intellectual in times of national crisis. This book compares American responses to the Vietnam War and French responses to the Algerian War, finding many similarities in the way intellectuals voiced their outrage at the policies of their governments.
Trade Review“Schalk has written a masterly work, which has stood up extraordinarily well in the years from its initial publication to this new edition, which appeared in late 2005. His careful style, thorough research, and judicious conclusions make this an excellent study of intellectual engagement. Its relevance goes beyond the crises of conscience in France and the United States over their governments' brutal wars in the Third World to the role of intellectuals in modern society. . . . As David Schalk shows us, a sensitive and forthright historian can illuminate the darkened terrain of the past and of the present.”—Lawrence S. Wittner,
History News Network“
War and the Ivory Tower is even more timely and important than ever, and should be on every American's night table (not making for sound sleep).”—Robert O. Paxton, Historian and Professor Emeritus, Columbia
“[Schalk] has written a seminal and, at times, a painfully important study of the role of intellectuals and political engagement. His narrative explores with meticulous objectivity the intellectual commitment to the national traumas of Algeria and Vietnam. . . . This book is required reading for the entire academic community.”—
Choice“With its noble aim of permitting ‘amnesty without amnesia,’ Schalk’s scrupulously researched, extensively annotated, and yet readily accessible study is strongly to be recommended to all those with an interest in the history of these two conflicts.”—
Modern and Contemporary France
