Customer Reviews

The Three Faces of Revolution

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I was introduced to this book by my mother. She had seen the tv series and the author had spoken at her school. I read the book, I could not put it down, I was so amazed. The way that same period in time is presented in school really falls short of the reality. The textbooks talk about the "red scare" and "McCarthyism" as if they were the product of paranoid fools. Reading this book opened my eyes and I feel that it should be required reading in schools. I saw how many of the problems forshadowed in his book have come true.

Some of the previous reviews of this book say that it helped them understand the McCarthy era, how McCarthy might have been right after all. The book, and Mr. Philbrick's views expressed in his later work, do not support the hysteria McCarthy represented. In fact, Mr. Philbrick spent years speaking about the importance of "responsible anti-communism" and the damage done by McCarthy. I Led Three Lives shows how good causes and organizations that support these causes can be twisted to support the causes of other groups, an important lesson now as well as then.

The basic oversight that got Herb involved with the Communist party jump out at you in the early chapters, "[The peace organizations] appeared fundamentally, to be driving toward the same objective, and there seemed little reason to question their precise motives". The message is that the precise motives are really important. Mixing your message in with an unrelated, or remotely related popular message is a very effective propaganda technique. Herb wants you to be wary of such deceptions. He makes this a bit clearer, but in a much less engrossing style, in a revised version of the book focusing on the actions of some of the characters introduced in this book during the 1960s.

Read the book for a great story and some lessons in looking beyond the surface before joining a movement.

I first saw the stories on TV late Saturday nights in the early/mid 50's as a kid. When I got older, I read the book and was amazed at what threat our country actually faced from the Communist infiltration of our press and intelligentia. It puts the McCarthy hearings into perspective and shows the inner workings of the FBI in combatting what was our greatest threat. A thoroughly enjoyable book; the pictures are unique.

I read this book at least 20 years ago. I couldn't put it down. I watched the television series many years before. I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN THE BOOK. I remember the book had mentioned the communist manifesto which detailed how the communist party would take over this country, some of which I remember was the infiltration of the schools, wasteful government spending, the power of higher offices. These are but a few I remember in the book. Since reading this book, I now look at our country, and it appears to be very true. McCarthy I believe was right. I read this book through the library, but now I am going to buy it. It is no longer in print through the library. Wake up America and see the signs. Buy the book if you can!

This book is an interesting document about its time and place - Boston in the 50's - but in no sense can it be seen as a justification for the excesses of McCarthy or J. Edgar Hoover. The activity of the Communist Party that Philbrick reports were true enough and there is no question that many in the party sacrificed everything to the cause - including their income and all their free time and energy. But the same is going on today with numerous religious cults and crackpot militia outfits, and has gone on for as long as history records. In every age there are those willing to sacrifice all for some single - often secret and seditious - purpose. The important thing to keep in mind is that they are usually few and far between and society as a whole has little to fear from them. This is not to say that such groups are never dangerous, only that they are no cause for society to panic and start rescinding civil liberties and infringing on the rights of other citizens who are lawfully minding their own business.

The real eye opener for me in reading this book is the extent to which the FBI was willing to use a citizen to obtain information, regardless of the cost to that person, and the willingness of 'Comrad' Herb to allow himself to be used - at what cost to his wife and family he never fully reports. That someone was willing for years to live a secret life (secret even from his wife!) to help the FBI prosecute a group of deluded political extremists is a pretty sad statement of misplaced family values.

Of course, it is important to note that his years as (1) average citizen, (2) communist party member and (3) counterspy for the FBI, allowed him afterwards to have a decades long career promoting his book, making speeches and appearing before various anticommunist groups. So maybe it was all worth it to him.