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A bold book of rage, hope, and challenge exposing how the political decisions of the 1980s continue to haunt us today.
In Dangerous Memory, renowned politician, author, and musician Charlie Angus undertakes a major rethink of the cultural and political shifts of the 1980s, an era that unleashed an unprecedented looting of the economy, the environment, and the common good that continues to haunt us today.
Expertly weaving his story within the larger narrative of the times, Angus elucidates such key events as the Chernobyl disaster, the Digital Revolution, the AIDS epidemic, the fight against South African apartheid, the rise of neoliberalism, and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
But the 1980s was also a time of resistance, creativity, and hope. In a world that stood on the brink of global nuclear annihilation, millions of people stepped up to save the planet and fight for human rights. As an idealistic eighteen-year-old, Charlie Angus quit school to play in a punk band and work with the homeless. Planting the seeds of change, he now challenges us to take action to confront widespread injustice and systemic inequity to create a better world.
"An extraordinary read from a true Canadian original." —Naomi Klein, author of Doppelganger and The Shock Doctrine
“Dangerous Memory is a vivid, rapid-fire account of a pivotal period in our collective history.” —John Vaillant, author of Fire Weather
“Dangerous Memory is a fierce, exhilarating corrective to nostalgia—and to despair.” —Mark Abley, author of Strange Bewildering Time
“Heartfelt and detailed, a book worthy of the Canadian music pantheon.” —Dave Bidini, author of On a Cold Road and Midnight Light
“You can’t tell Toronto’s story without understanding the Toronto that shaped Charlie Angus, the punk rock politician.” —Toronto Mike podcast
“Dangerous Memory takes readers on a vivid, rollicking journey.” —Stephen Maher, author of The Prince
“Charlie Angus has long been a rare voice speaking truth to power.” —Linda McQuaig, author and journalist
“After reading this genuine and powerful memoir, I now have a better idea of what made Charlie Angus such a tireless and inspiring leader.” —Jim Stanford, economist and director, Centre for Future Work
“Dangerous Memory is a timely and useful cure for sociopolitical amnesia as we march into the great unknown.” —Paul Myers, author of The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy
“Part memoir, part historical poke in the eye, Dangerous Memory is a roller coaster ride through the decade that left the world in the precarious state it is today.” —Ralph Benmergui, author of I Thought He Was Dead
“An engaging account of the tumultuous 1980s — a decade marked by Reaganomics, anti-nuclear protests, AIDS and the glorification of greed, among other things … A very readable personal memoir of the author’s remarkable young adult years.” — Winnipeg Free Press
“A must-read for any disillusioned Canadian.” —Quebec Library Association
“Just the book we need right now.” —World Changing Kids
“More than a mere history book.” — Sask Today