Peace: 50 Years of Protest by Barry Miles

Being a right wing warmonger I am not really the target audience for Peace: 50 Years of Protest, but given the historical significance and the anniversary (it was first used on Good Friday fifty years ago) I thought it worth mentioning. In case any of you peaceniks or hippies out there are interested.

Here is a brief synopsis:

It’s probably the most commonly used symbol of protest in the world, instantly recognised as everywhere as the universal sign for Peace – and in 2008 it will be 50 years old.The book tells the story of the enduring power of what was originally designed as the official sign for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in England. The symbol was first drawn on on home-made banners and badges in 1958, when CND was launched at a public meeting in London, but has since been apropriated by scores of different protest movements, from hippies in 1960s America – the first to use it to represent ‘peace’ – to feminists and anarchist punks. In 2008 just as it was 50 years earlier, the CND logo is re-created at anti-nuclear demonstrations the world over.This unique volume combines the written history of modern popular protest with a range of fantastic photographs of the diverse ways and places that the symbol has been used. Throughout are the original versions of the symbol drawn by rock stars, politicians, activists, scientists and writers, all paying tribute to the Peace Symbol on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.The book will coincide with a planned exhibition of the original drawings to be staged throughout 2008.

All kidding aside, anyone interested in the history of the peace or anti-war movement would enjoy this book. It obviously bring a certain bias, but it has an amazing collection of photographs and illustrations that trace the history of this symbol and the movement(s) that adopted it.