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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Rich Rein-(US 1, October 7, 2009) Dec 25, 2009
By Christopher Calkins
This review was written by Rich Rein, in the publication US 1, (October 7, 2009).
If you are of a certain age, you have a vivid memory of the late 1960s and
early 1970s, the days of student unrest on America's college campuses. I am
of that age, and my memories are based not just on living through those
times but also on reporting on some of the key events....
...
And in the fall of 1967, when the first physically disruptive protests
occurred at Princeton University, students blocking the entrance to the
Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), I was there as a reporter for the
Daily Princetonian.So this year, more than four decades later, my summer
reading list had to include Lee Neuwirth's new book, "Nothing Personal -- The
Vietnam War in Princeton 1965-1975." Neuwirth, a mathematician, was the
deputy director of the IDA during those tumultuous days. Lee Neuwirth, I
quickly discovered, was no ordinary spokesman for the military-industrial
complex. He was personable, engaging, and willing both to listen and respond
to the angry protesters on the other side of the barricades. Neuwirth took
center stage, literally, in September of 1972 when Daniel Ellsberg, the
celebrated leaker of the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times, appeared
before an SRO audience of about 1,200 at Princeton's Alexander Hall.
Neuwirth asked a question from the floor that led to an invitation from
Ellsberg to join him onstage for an impromptu debate. Twenty minutes later a
gracious Ellsberg conceded that the man from IDA had scored some points.
Neuwirth left the stage to a rousing ovation from what
hadhad ppreviously been a hostile crowd.
Neuwirth revealed the principles behind his stand in a letter to a resident
who applauded his performance at the Ellsberg debate but who still hoped
that the IDA would justify its presence in Princeton. "I seriously question
the concept of justifying what I am doing and establishing its legitimacy to
some group," Neuwirth responded in a letter. "In this country, under our
laws, a man does not have to prove he is engaged in a legitimate activity.
Indeed, quite the reverse is true. Elaborate provisions are made for proving
someone's guilt in the courtroom."...
...
"Nothing Personal" is steeped in Princeton town and gown politics and
personalities. But thanks to desktop publishing and on-demand printing,
Neuwirth's 173-page book is in print and available from Amazon.com. It may
not end up on any bestseller list, but historians and students of the
anti-war movement will appreciate this trove of primary material.
Rich Rein-(US 1, October 7, 2009)
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
An important book and a unique perspective Jul 30, 2009
By Tali Barr PhD
If you are at all interested in the anti war movement of the late 60's, this book is a "must have". I lived through the times and have read a lot of books on the subject, but this one is unique. It is written by someone who was not only literally in the middle of it all and able to observe all the players (gov't, police, students, univerisity administrators, local residents etc) closely and in a surprisingly unbiased manner, but because of his job he also had access to far more information about what was really going on than any of us. It is very well written and the facts are meticulously documented. As a bonus the book delves into one of the most important questions facing us today -- "What should the government be able to keep secret and who should decide?"
Most of the "eyewitness accounts" you read about this period in America are blind men trying to describe an elephant each with their own narrow (and usually biased) perspective. When you get enough different perspectives maybe you can get a rough idea of what the animal was like. Read this book and you get the whole picture.
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