Who knew Carl Bernstein was a red diaper baby?
I love this book and have never understood how and why it went out of print. Maybe it helps the reader to be from Washington, DC. Carl Bernstein grew up around here, went to school around here, and his parents and family were very much part of the local radical scene, so when he names names and locates businesses, schools and houses, it’s all walkable for those of us who live in the District. But beyond the local interest, Carl Bernstein gives us a strong sense of what it was to be part of a radical fifties family. This was a time when conformity was so nuanced, so as a kid Bernstein was both proud and ashamed to have his mother’s picture appear on the front page of a major newspaper when she was arrested for picketing the Five and Ten. (People forget how much the Communist party contributed to the Civil Rights movement in some parts of the country during a period when there was still a risk of job loss for many who wanted to protest segregation.) In short, this is a minor classic, muc
