Aaron J. Leonard presents 'Meltdown Expected'

Third Place Books welcomes back Aaron J. Leonard to discuss his new book, , on two of the most tumultuous years in American history, including everything from the Three Mile Island meltdown to the Iran hostage crisis. This event is free and open to the public.

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Shows how 1978 and 1979 were two of the most tumultuous years in American history, including everything from the Three Mile Island meltdown to the Iran hostage crisis.

In January 1978, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed that “There is all across our land a growing sense of peace and a sense of common purpose.” Yet in the ensuing months, a series of crises disturbed that fragile sense of peace, ultimately setting the stage for Reagan’s decisive victory in 1980 and ushering in the final phase of the Cold War.
Meltdown Expected tells the story of the power shifts from late 1978 through 1979 whose repercussions are still being felt. Iran’s revolution led to a hostage crisis while neighbouring Afghanistan became the site of a proxy war between the USSR and the US, who supplied aid to Islamic mujahideen fighters that would later form the Taliban. Meanwhile, as tragedies like the Jonestown mass suicide and the assassination of Harvey Milk captured the nation’s attention, the government quietly reasserted and expanded the FBI’s intelligence powers. Drawing from recently declassified government documents and covering everything from Three Mile Island to the rise of punk rock, Aaron J. Leonard paints a vivid portrait of a tumultuous yet pivotal time in American history.

Aaron J. Leonard is an author and historian focusing on the interplay of radicalism and repression. He is the author of Heavy Radicals: The FBI's Secret War on America's Maoists, A Threat of the First Magnitude, The Folk Singers & the Bureau, and Whole World in an Uproar. He has BA in Social Sciences and History magna cum laude from New York University. Originally from the Central New York town of Herkimer, Leonard lived most of his adult life in Brooklyn but now calls Los Angeles home.

About Third Place Books

Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Third Place Books, 5041 Wilson Ave S, Seattle, United States