One Dozen Candles was a series of history and opinion books criticizing communism, labor unions, and welfare policies that was assembled by Robert W. Welch, Jr. and published during the 1960s by Western Islands, the publishing arm of American right-wing advocacy group the John Birch Society. On the series packaging, the name One Dozen Candles was accompanied by the proverb, "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." Earlier editions also carried the branding for the American Opinion Reprint Series while later editions were part of The Americanist Library.
The books included in the One Dozen Candles were paperback reprints of books written between 1938 and 1965 by a variety of authors, some of whom were never members of nor ideologically aligned with the John Birch Society. The twelve selections changed slightly over the course of the years and a thirteenth volume was added in later collections.
Series entries
Earlier collections VolumeTitleAuthorOriginal publication1While You Slept: Our Tragedy in Asia and Who Made ItJohn T. Flynn19512The Web of Subversion: Underground Networks in the U.S. GovernmentJames Burnham19543America's Retreat from VictorySenator Joseph R. McCarthy19514Odyssey of a Fellow TravelerJ. B. Matthews19385Shanghai Conspiracy: The Sorge Spy Ring, Moscow, Shanghai, Tokyo, San Francisco, New YorkMajor-General Charles A. Willoughby19526From Major Jordan's DiariesGeorge Racey Jordan19527I Saw Poland BetrayedAmbassador Arthur Bliss Lane19488The People's PottageGaret Garrett19539The Kohler Strike: Union Violence and Administrative LawSylvester Petro196110The Pentagon CaseColonel Victor J. Fox, with Robert A. Winston195811The Tragedy of Bolivia: A People CrucifiedAlberto Ostria Gutierrez195812Nine Men Against AmericaRosalie M. Gordon1958
Later collections VolumeTitleAuthorOriginal publication1While You Slept: Our Tragedy in Asia and Who Made ItJohn T. Flynn19512Seeds of TreasonRalph de Toledano19503America's Retreat from VictorySenator Joseph R. McCarthy19514The Whole of Their LivesBenjamin Gitlow19485Shanghai Conspiracy: The Sorge Spy Ring, Moscow, Shanghai, Tokyo, San Francisco, New YorkMajor-General Charles A. Willoughby19526From Major Jordan's DiariesGeorge Racey Jordan19527I Saw Poland BetrayedAmbassador Arthur Bliss Lane19488The People's PottageGaret Garrett19539The Kohler Strike: Union Violence and Administrative LawSylvester Petro196110The Invisible GovernmentDan Smoot196211France, The Tragic YearsSisley Huddleston195512Nine Men Against AmericaRosalie M. Gordon1958*Background to Betrayal: The Tragedy of VietnamHilaire du Berrier1965
13th title included in boxed sets was not included in printed listing on package
See also John Birch Society Robert W. Welch Jr. Western Islands (publisher)
References