Re: Lanny Budd series by Upton Sinclair.

"John Berg" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> A socialist interpretation of the contribution of the Arms industry to
> making war from before WWI to WWII.  How many books in the series?  How
well
> have they stood up--as fact and story?
>
> -- 
> John Berg
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]

I first discovered these eons ago at age 13, when my mother
revealed to me that my nickname, "Lanny", came from this
series.

I loved the books.  They were about capitalism, communism,
and fascism; about art and music; about sex and convention;
about America and Europe; and many other things.  The
characterization above about the Arms industry is only
a very narrow part of the theme of the books.

If I remember correctly, the first book begins in 1913 when
Lanny Budd, age 13, is living with his mother a beautiful
American woman living on the French Riviera in a villa paid
for by an American arms manufacturer who keeps her as his
mistress.

With many international friends and connections, some among
the rich and powerful, Lanny gets an inside view the nastiness
of politics and the horror of fascism.

I don't know if I would like them as much today as I did when
I was a teenager.  At that time, it was all heady, grown up,
intelligent seeming stuff.  Someday I may re-read them and see.

Whether or not they stand up as fact, and I think they would
hold up better rather than worse, they are a wonderful
expression of the "progressive" world view of the 20's,
30's and 40's.

   Alan