Keith Lucas
The Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich – considered by some to have been the greatest symphonist of the 20th century – lived through the October Revolution, the age of Stalin, and a good proportion of the post-Stalin Soviet years; he’s a composer who can’t be ignored by any activist interested in the cultural aspects of 20th century politics.
Music’s ‘meaning’, beyond the abstract and physical pleasure of the sounds, can relate to the political situation a composer is in, as well as…
The title of this book, and the reputation of its author, suggests it could be a welcome addition to a peace activist’s bookshelf. However for anyone interested specifically in pacifism, rather than just peace, it is a profoundly annoying and disappointing book. Perhaps the stark use of a nuclear disarmament symbol on the cover, when much of the book is nothing to do with nuclear weapons specifically, should have been a warning of the muddle inside.
Another clue – for people who…
