âA deeply-researched and well-written account ofâ (Peter Bergen, author of United States of Jihad) M19âthe first and only domestic terrorist group founded and led by womenâas they waged a violent war against racism, sexism, and imperialism in Ronald Reaganâs America.
1981: Ronald Reagan declared that it is âmorning in Americaâ but a small band of well-educated women were planning to combat the status quo at any cost.
Having spent their entire adult lives embroiled in political strugglesâVietnam War protests, Hispanic, Native American, and Black liberation, and moreâthese women had determined that it was time for a final stand. They might not be able to overthrow the government, but they could certainly disrupt it.
Together, they formed the May 19th Communist Organization, or âM19,â a name derived from the birthday shared by Malcolm X and Ho Chi Minh, two of their revolutionary idols. Together, these six women carried out some of the most shocking operations in the history of domestic terrorismâfrom prison breakouts and murderous armed robberies to a bombing campaign that wreaked havoc on the nationâs capital, its military installations, and New York City.
For the first time, the full, fascinating, and terrifying story of M19 is explored by Cold War historian and counterterrorism expert William Rosenau in this âgripping account of this hitherto forgotten terrorist campaignâ (Bruce Hoffman, author of Inside Terrorism). Three decades may have passed since these women fought what they saw as an essential battle for self-determination and dignity, but weâre still struggling to decipher which side of history their actions fall on and what we should learn from their motivations.