| This dissertation employs a relatively new academic field, book history, to analyze Crane Brinton's The Anatomy of Revolution. It demonstrates that the confluence of a provocative topic, a clear yet sophisticated methodology, insightful editorial decisions, adroit marketing, and mostly favorable reception inside and outside academia have made The Anatomy of Revolution an enduring classic.;I begin by elaborating upon what others have written about the ideas contained within The Anatomy of Revolution, placing that book within the context of earlier books on revolution and searching for the similarities between these works and the ways in which The Anatomy of Revolution both depended upon and differed from them. Next, I focus on elements external to The Anatomy of Revolution by examining its publishing history, recreating the relationships Brinton developed with several publishing companies.;I then cover the reception of Brinton's work in scholarly reviews, popular reviews, and citations in reference works. Scholars absorbed and transformed The Anatomy of Revolution in their own scholarship, keeping Brinton's work alive bibliographically by applying his method to other revolutions. I also examine the results teachers have had with The Anatomy of Revolution in their classrooms throughout the years. Finally, I consider how The Anatomy of Revolution may fare in the near future, a world where the fear of revolutionary violence within nations may be eclipsed by a fear of international terrorism.;As a work of social science, The Anatomy of Revolution has met and continues to meet the needs of several audiences. Audiences and their needs are specific to a certain time and milieu, in this case the prelude to the Second World War and, more importantly, the following Cold War with its violent flare-ups in Korea and Vietnam. The Anatomy of Revolution is in many ways a quintessential twentieth-century book, a means to come to grips with a constantly shifting geopolitical situation. I attempt to reconstruct this dynamic period in history and consider the role of Brinton's book in it. |
