Burning Banks and Roasting Marshmallows: The Education of Daniel Marleau
This chronicle of student unrest, set during 1970 in the unlikely palm graced, sun-kissed Santa Barbara campus of the University of California, follows young Dan Marleau and friends through personal and political upheavals that begin on campus with the firing of a popular professor and spread off campus to the infamous burning of the Bank of American in Isla Vista. Those who lived through the Vietnam War era will be swept into a portrayal evoking measures of angst, anger, and bitterness alongside nostalgia, humor, and resilience. Those who are too young to have lived through this period will find areas of identification with characters who face circumstances and challenges that remain relevant in a time of continued military entanglements, corporate excesses, political divisions, and global terrorism. Numerous photographs taken by the author complement the narrative.
Tip of the hat to Malcolm (from the book acknowledgement section):
This project percolated for many years before I finally found time to write a draft during the late 1990s. Reading an early version of Malcolm Gault-Williams’ Don’t Bank on America (initially titled Sunshine Revolutionaries) inspired me to get down to writing. It prodded my memory and became an incomparable resource and time line to follow in reconstructing the pivotal events. Without Malcolm’s work, my task would have been much more difficult. So my debt to Malcolm is deep and I thank him for producing an historical account of high quality and for help and motivation supplied through several email communications over the years I have worked on this project.
Copies of the book can be ordered here:
http://www2.xlibris.com/BOOKSTORE/bookdisplay.aspx?bookid=63124
Greg's website, with more info about the book is: www.gregorydesilet.com
