Summerhill School A New View of Childhood

Originally published in 1960, Summerhill became an instant bestseller and a classic volume of education for an entire generation. Now, this thoroughly expanded and revised version of the original Summerhill reinstates the revolutionary "free school" traditions begun by Summerhill's founder A.S. Neill. As American education lags behind the rest of the world, this new edition is more timely than ever. The children of today face struggles far greater than any previous generation and we, as parents and teachers, must teach them now to make choices for themselves and to learn from the outcome of their decisions. This classic work yet again invites a new view of childhood and presents an essential treatise that challenges us to rethink our approach to education.

A. S. Neill was born in 1883 in Forfar, Scotland. In addition to establishing the Summerhill School, Neill lectured widely and published over twenty books. He died in 1973. His daughter, Zoë Readhead, now serves as the headmistress of Summerhill.

Editor Albert Lamb, a Summerhill alumnus, worked as a cartoonist and musician before returning to the school to help out on the staff. He now commutes between Summerhill and his home in the Cotswolds, where he lives with his family.

"A.S. Neill is one of the great pioneers of modern times in the education of the child...Anyone who is in any way concerned with the education of children should make this book required reading." --Ashley Montagu

"I know of no educator in the western world who can compare to A.S. Neill. Summerhill is a tiny ray of light in the world of darkness." --Henry Miller