Background
Small, Melvin was born on March 14, 1939 in New York City. Son of Herman Z. and Ann (Ashkinazy) Small.
('Small and Singer have made a valuable collection of data...)
'Small and Singer have made a valuable collection of data even more valuable by opening up more possibilities for systematic research on conflict.' -- The Annals, Vol 475, Sept 1984 'At first glance one could easily miss the point that this book is the second edition of The Wages of War (with a new title and authorship reversed). But surely the reissuing of the source-book for the single most important data-collection effort in peace research to date calls for celebration. The extensive bibliography of the Correlates of War project, published in the back of this book, testifies to the range and importance of the research which has resulted from the painstaking work performed by Singer and Small. However, there's suff
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0803917767/?tag=2022091-20
( “Small . . . finds, rather, that the media had a built-...)
“Small . . . finds, rather, that the media had a built-in bias against Vietnam protesters—in particular, the television reports sought out scenes of violence, and hence gave disproportionate emphasis to even the smallest counter-demonstration. Small is methodical, indeed, comparing carefully what was supposed to happen, what actually did happen, what the media said had happened about what had happened, and about what ‘two thin-skinned presidents,’ Johnson and Nixon, thought about what the media said. . . . This study . . . should be valuable to students of the media, or to those who believe that all questions are political and to be settled by counting heads.”—Rapport “Melvin Small's invaluable book persuasively analyzes media coverage of the antiwar movement and in doing so shatters the persistent and mischievous notion that the media lionized the antiwar movement and undermined support for the War.”––George C. Herring, University of Kentucky It is commonly believed that, during the Vietnam War, journalists relayed a favorable image of antiwar protesters. Melvin Small explodes that myth. Journalists may do their best to be fair, but even fair reporters learn to focus on the violent and bizarre activities that make for dramatic news. They may capture behavior on the fringes of a march, rather than the tone of the march as a whole. They may ignore the arguments of the movement's leaders, which seem boring in comparison to action shots. Small's commentary effectively portrays the battle between activists and the media while painting a compelling picture of Americans' inclination to accept the media's caricaturing lens.
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(Twenty-five years after Richard Nixon resigned from offic...)
Twenty-five years after Richard Nixon resigned from office, his legacy remains shrouded in controversy. His was a complex, inconsistent, and even contradictory presidency, shaped by the man's personality and political practices and played out during one of America's most turbulent eras. Melvin Small now draws on the latest archival releases to take a fresh look at Nixon and place his administration in proper historical perspective. Nixon once predicted that by the year 2000 scholars would begin to evaluate his presidency more favorably. Small, however, steers a steady course between Nixon's detractors and apologists to offer the most balanced and thorough coverage yet available of the man's character and accomplishments. He notes many of the solid achievements of Nixon's domestic programs while criticizing some of his more celebrated foreign policies, especially concerning the Third World, and illuminates Nixon's broader influence on American political institutions and culture. Small's topical approach permits readers to observe the development of an entire domestic program or international relationship over an extended period, making it easier to understand such drawn-out issues as reforming welfare or ending the Vietnam War. Regarding Vietnam, Small integrates military and diplomatic policy with Nixon's efforts to neutralize the antiwar movement. His coverage of White House operations and Nixon's war with the media precedes a particularly insightful chapter on Watergate and the threat of impeachment. A closing chapter on Nixon's post-presidential years reveals facts about his health and his "blackmailing" of both Presidents Bush and Clinton, and a bibliographic essay provides an extensive survey of the Nixon literature. He was the first president to travel to China and to call for welfare reform, and although he left Washington under a cloud, many of Nixon's ideas and policies have been embraced by Americans a legacy few presidents can claim. Small's book is a lively and anecdotal account that looks at the many sides of Richard Nixon and comes to grips with both the man and his presidency.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0700612556/?tag=2022091-20
( From the Hamiltonian-Jeffersonian split over English an...)
From the Hamiltonian-Jeffersonian split over English and French policy in the 1790s to the Republican-Democratic clash over Haitian policy in the 1990s, Americans and foreign observers have been troubled―and often exasperated―by the extraordinary influence of U.S. domestic politics on matters of vital national security. Some critics, including Alexis de Tocqueville, concluded―that America's democratic system would cripple the effective and efficient conduct of its foreign policy. In this first historical overview of the subject, Melvin Small examines the central role of domestic politics in the shaping and conduct of American foreign policy from the early republic to the end of the Cold War.
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(The anti–Vietnam War movement marked the first time in Am...)
The anti–Vietnam War movement marked the first time in American history that record numbers marched and protested to an antiwar tune―on college campuses, in neighborhoods, and in Washington. Although it did not create enough pressure on decision-makers to end U.S. involvement in the war, the movement's impact was monumental. It served as a major constraint on the government's ability to escalate, played a significant role in President Lyndon B. Johnson's decision in 1968 not to seek another term, and was a factor in the Watergate affair that brought down President Richard Nixon. At last, the story of the entire antiwar movement from its advent to its dissolution is available in Antiwarriors: The Vietnam War and the Battle for America's Hearts and Minds . Author Melvin Small describes not only the origins and trajectory of the anti–Vietnam War movement in America, but also focuses on the way it affected policy and public opinion and the way it in turn was affected by the government and the media, and, consequently, events in Southeast Asia. Leading this crusade were outspoken cultural rebels including Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, as passionate about the cause as the music that epitomizes the period. But in addition to radical protestors whose actions fueled intense media coverage, Small reveals that the anti-war movement included a diverse cast of ordinary citizens turned war dissenter: housewives, politicians, suburbanites, clergy members, and the elderly. The antiwar movement comes to life in this compelling new book that is sure to fascinate all those interested in the Vietnam War and the turbulent, tumultuous 1960s.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/084202896X/?tag=2022091-20
(This work offers an introduction to the best-known antiwa...)
This work offers an introduction to the best-known antiwar movement in United States history, written by veterans of the Vietnam War and participants in the movement. It examines how the activities of the movement affected the lives of most Americans.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0815625596/?tag=2022091-20
(A diplomatic historian examines six major international w...)
A diplomatic historian examines six major international wars involving the United States and concludes that American involvement was unjustified in each case. America's national security was not in fact sufficiently threatened to merit a call to arms. The author analyzes the events leading up to each war and the justification of wars in general. His book combines lively history with lucid and relevant general argument. '...the book is provocative and unquestionably will serve once more to bring the important question Was War Necessary before the public.' -- Journal of the Early Republic, April 1982 'Small's book is successful. It undoubtedly will provoke readers to think about the irrationalit
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0803914865/?tag=2022091-20
Small, Melvin was born on March 14, 1939 in New York City. Son of Herman Z. and Ann (Ashkinazy) Small.
Bachelor, Dartmouth College, 1960; Master of Arts, University of Michigan, 1961; Doctor of Philosophy, University of Michigan, 1965.
Assistant professor history Wayne State University, Detroit, 1965-1968, associate professor, 1968-1976, professor, since 1976, chairman department history, 1979-1986, distinguished professor, 2004. Visiting professor University Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1968, Marygrove College, Detroit, 1971, Aarhus (Denmark) University, 1972—1974, 1983, Windsor (Ontario, Canada) University, 1977—1978. Fulbright senior specialist Coynac International Exchange Scholars, since 2007.
( From the Hamiltonian-Jeffersonian split over English an...)
(The anti–Vietnam War movement marked the first time in Am...)
(This work offers an introduction to the best-known antiwa...)
(This work offers an introduction to the best-known antiwa...)
(A diplomatic historian examines six major international w...)
(A diplomatic historian examines six major international w...)
('Small and Singer have made a valuable collection of data...)
(Over seven years in preparation, this is the first book-l...)
(Twenty-five years after Richard Nixon resigned from offic...)
(Twenty-five years after Richard Nixon resigned from offic...)
(Book by Small, Melvin)
( “Small . . . finds, rather, that the media had a built-...)
Honorary board Swords into Plowshares Museum, since 1992. Board directors Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives, since 1998, Center on Peace and Liberty, since 2003, David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, since 2003. Member Council on Peace Research in History (national council 1986-1990, president 1990-1992), American History Association, Atlantic Council (academy associate), Organization American Historians, Society Historians of America Foreign Relations (Warren Kuehl prize 1989).
Married Sarajane Miller, October 23, 1958. Children: Michael, Mark.