James Weinstein (author)
James "Jimmy" Weinstein (1926–2005) was an American historian and journalist best known as the founder and publisher of In These Times. Weinstein was a lifelong socialist and early 20th-century American socialism was often the focus of his writings.
Biography
James Weinstein, known to his friends as "Jimmy," was born in New York City on July 17, 1926.
As a young man, Weinstein was an active supporter of Henry Wallace's 1948 presidential bid on the Progressive Party ticket, a campaign strongly backed by the Communist Party. However, Weinstein later became critical of "third party" strategies and would encourage the American Left to work within the Democratic Party. Weinstein became a prominent figure among left-wing Democrats in his adopted home of Chicago, Illinois, where In These Times is headquartered.
Weinstein served in the U.S. Navy and received a degree in government from Cornell University in 1949. He later attended Columbia University, obtaining an M.A. in history.
He was the author of numerous books, including The Decline of Socialism in America, The Corporate Ideal in the Liberal State and The Long Detour: The History and Future of the American Left. He also founded the journals Studies on the Left and Socialist Revolution (later renamed Socialist Review, and ultimately Radical Society), and was one of the founders of Modern Times Bookstore in San Francisco, California.
On a personal note, Weinstein was a big fan of the Chicago Cubs and he enjoyed experimenting with recipes.
Weinstein died in Chicago on June 16, 2005 at 78.
Works
- "Radicalism in the Midst of Normalcy," Journal of American History, vol. 52, no. 4 (March 1966), pp. 773–790. In JSTOR
- The Decline of Socialism in America, 1912-1925. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1967.
- The Corporate Idea in the Liberal State, 1900-1918. Boston: Beacon Press, 1968.
- The Communists of the 1930s and the New Left. With Max Gordon. New York: Viewpoint Publishing Group, 1976.
External links
- In These Times
- "Stopping the Drive to War" by James Weinstein
- James Weinstein's Web Site at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
- An obituary by Miles Harvey
- Associated Press Obituary
- An obituary by Doug Ireland