Our recent storms didn’t start in 2020 or 2016. They started decades ago in the 1960s – a whirlwind of threatened nuclear catastrophe, then police dogs and rednecks terrorizing civil rights marchers down south, then Vietnamese children fleeing from napalm flames. Then draft notices to go to Vietnam to “fight commies.” A small town boy started by supporting rightist Goldwater against the “peace candidate” Johnson, but rapidly changed in the face of the civil rights and anti-war movements, and started a quest that hasn’t ended yet.

About Dee Knight's Memoir:

My Whirlwind Lives is a fast-paced and fascinating tour of a life filled with politics, passion and purpose. Knight takes us through decades of turmoil in the U.S. and overseas, and decades of movement building against war, injustice and destruction of the planet. The book is infused with Knight's sweeping vision of a more humane world and his infectious sense of optimism. Read it and act.
—Medea Benjamin, Co-founder, CodePink (http://codepink.org)

"Being a revolutionary is like being a midwife for the future," writes Dee Knight. "While
there is blood and pain, its essence is hope and excitement for a future we can begin to see
ahead of us."
From the movement against the Vietnam War in the 1960s, to revolutions in Portugal, Africa, and Latin America, to today's movement for the Green New Deal, these stories of how real change happens are full of inspiration and valuable lessons. This book makes a compelling case for the inseparability of the movements for an end to unjust war, for the rights of resisters, and for racial and economic justice. It's a strong reminder to keep organizing to be ready for these moments of opportunity. With some luck and perseverance, another such opportunity may be right around the corner.
—Jeff Paterson, founder, Courage to Resist (http://couragetoresist.org)

Dee Knight has written a most compelling account of his personal odyssey and political evolution. From a high schooler for Barry Goldwater, then dropping out of college to campaign for Eugene McCarthy in 1968, he became a leading Vietnam war resister in Canada. He witnessed revolutions in Portugal and Nicaragua, and became a committed socialist. This life story shares much with that of thousands of young people whose lives and world views changed when they were pushed to participate in unjust U.S. wars.
—Gerry Condon, Vietnam era Gl resister and former president of Veterans For Peace