STRANGE REBELS: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
"Like it or not, we of the 21st century still live in the shadow of 1979."
-- Christian Caryl, Strange Rebels
SOME QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
What is the thesis of Strange Rebels? How, according to Christian Caryl, did the great changes of 1979 anticipate the themes of 21st century political life? What role do the twin forces of markets and religion play in his account?
Who are Christian Caryl's "strange rebels"? What is interesting about his sketch of Pope John Paul II, Ayatollah Khomeini, Deng Xiaoping and Margaret Thatcher? What was the historical significance of each?
How would you compare and contrast John Paul II and Khomeini? Deng Xiaoping and Thatcher? How would you compare, contrast and link Poland, Afghanistan and China in 1979?
Why does Caryl call his lead characters "strange rebels"? How does he distinguish between "conservatives" and "counterrevolutionaries" and why does he characterize his "strange rebels" as the latter?
How has the landscape of politics in the West shifted since 1979? What does Caryl mean when he talks of the "progressive consensus"?
Why was it that an enthusiasm for the market arose almost simultaneously in countries as different as Britain and China?
Who is Christian Caryl? What are his background and biography? What are his biases?
What is left out of the book? How, for example, might his conclusions seem different if a focus on Latin America and/or Africa was included?
What else would you add about the strengths and weaknesses of Strange Rebels?
SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
"Christian Caryl, 'Strange Rebels,'" World Affairs Today, September 30, 2013: The author offers an hour-long introduction to his book. Includes an opening trailer for the book.
"After Words With Christian Caryl," C-Span, May 7, 2013: A feature video interview with the author.
"1979
And The Birth Of The 21st Century,"
PRI's The World, April 17, 2013.
"Strange
Rebels: 1979 And The Birth Of The 21st Century,"
New Books In History (May 20, 2013): An hour-long interview with the
author.
Christian Caryl: The author's web-site.
David Runciman, "Counter-Counter-Revolution," London Review Of Books (September 2013).
Charles Moore, "1979
-- The Year That Heralded The 21st Century,"
Telegraph, August 11, 2013.
Jonathan Derbyshire, "'Strange
Rebels: 1979 And The Birth Of The 21st Century' By Christian Caryl -- Review,"
Guardian, July 25, 2013.
Ian Thomson, "'Strange
Rebels: 1979 And The Birth Of The 21st Century' By Christian Caryl -- Review,"
Observer, July 6, 2013.
James McAuley, "Strange Bedfellows," Prospect (June 24, 2013).
Isaac Chotiner, "Annus Mirabilis: 'Strange Rebels,' By Christian Caryl," New York Times, June 21, 2013.
Jon Sallet, "Review of 'Strange Rebels: 1979 And The Birth Of The 21st Century,'" Washington Independent Review Of Books (June 10, 2013).
Jacob Heilbrunn, "The Year Of Living Historically: What Deng Xiaoping, Pope John Paul, The Ayatollah Khomeini And Margaret Thatcher Had In Common," Washington Monthly (May/June 2013).
Michael Kimmage, "Deng Xiaoping And Margaret Thatcher: Kindred Spirits," New Republic (May 11, 2013).
Brian Bethune, "1979: The Year Everything Changed," Maclean's (May 5, 2013).
"When
The World Changed: Why 1979 Was About So Much More Than Margaret Thatcher's
Election Victory,"
Economist (April 13, 2013).