Max Shachtman and His Left : A Socialist's Odyssey Through the American Century

Max Shachtman, originally a Communist from Harlem, a leader in the fight to save Sacco and Vanzetti, Trotsky's "commissar for foreign affairs," an organizer of the 1934 Minneapolis general strike, and a principled opponent of World War II, was a key figure in the 1990s civil rights, labour and peace movements.

He helped chart the strategy of the civil rights movement through associates like Bayard Rustin and Stokely Carmichael, and built a network of influence for the AFL-CIO within the Democratic Party.

But, ultimately, Shachtman's support for the Vietnam War helped to break apart the progressive network he had so painstakingly pieced together and contributed to the decimation of the US Left.

Drawing on previously untapped archives and recent interviews, this full-length biography of Max Shachtman offers a comprensive study of his thought and aims to add a new dimension to the study of US labour and socialism.