Books, Not Bombs

Teaching Peace Since the Dawn of the Republic

By:
Charles F. Howlett, Molloy College
Ian Harris, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

A volume in the series: Peace Education. Editor(s): Laura L. Finley, Barry University.

Published 2010

Books Not Bombs: Teaching Peace Since the Dawn of the Republic is an important work relevant to peace scholars, practitioners, and students. This incisive book offers an exciting and comprehensive historical analysis of the origins and development of peace education from the creation of the New Republic at the end of the Eighteenth Century to the beginning of the Twenty-First century. It examines efforts to educate the American populace, young and old, both inside the classroom and outside in terms of peace societies and endowed organizations. While many in the field of peace education focus their energies on conflict resolution and teaching peace pedagogically, Books Not Bombs approaches the topic from an entirely new perspective. It undertakes a thorough examination of the evolution of peace ideology within the context of opposing war and promoting social justice inside and outside schoolhouse gates. It seeks to offer explanations on how attempts to prevent violence have been communicated through the lens of history.

CONTENTS
Introduction. 1 An Overview of the Evolution of Peace Education and Criticism of War from the Age of Independence to the Beginning of the Twenty-First Century. 2 Elihu Burritt’s Nineteenth-Century Peace Education Efforts. 3 Alfred Love and the Universal Peace Union’s Educational Mission. 4 Female Peace Educators and Activists at the Lake Mohonk Conferences for International Arbitration, 1895–1916. 5 Jane Addams and the Promotion of Peace and Social Justice Among the Masses. 6 Fannie Fern Andrews, the American School Peace League, and the First Peace Studies Curriculum. 7 Andrew Carnegie and His Endowment. 8 Edwin Ginn and the World Peace Foundation. 9 Lucia True Ames Mead: Publicist for Peace Education in the United States. 10 Nicholas Murray Butler’s Educational Views for International Understanding. 11 John Dewey and Peace Education. 12 American Friends Service Committee and Peace Education. 13 Post-World War I Revisionist History’s Impact on the Development of Peace Education in the United States. 14 The Campaign Against Militarization in Education. 15 Brookwood Labor College and Peace Education. 16 Merle Curti and the Development of Peace History in American Thought and Culture. 17 Elise Boulding and the Development of International Peace Research. 18 Betty A. Reardon: Teaching Peace and Justice for a Living World. 19 Diffuse Peace Education in a Nuclear World. Appendices: A Glossary of Peace Terminology. B Some Notable Promoters and Activists for Peace Education in American History, Past and Present. C A List of Organizations Devoted to Peace Education, Peace Action, and Social Justice Throughout American History. D Selected Chronology. E Workers’ Anti-War Summer School: 1936. F Syllabus for a Course in Peace Education. G Some Notable 20th-Century Judicial Decisions Related to War and Peace in Education. References.

REVIEWS
"Books, not bombs: teaching peace since the dawn of the Republic is an invaluable and extremely comprehensive account of the evolution of peace education in the USA beginning with the Iroquois Federation and with Benjamin Rush’s 1793 proposal for a national peace office down to the current challenges to peace and peace education. It is a must for the education of teacher candidates and serving teachers, and should be a required text for courses on the history of peace, introductory peace studies, and classes in American social and cultural history. It is also extremely encouraging for peace activists who can now, by reading this book, look back on a long and distinguished line of predecessors. It demonstrates a building momentum for peace." Kent D. Shifferd Northland College, Ashland, WI, USA in Journal of Peace Education