Mad Bomber Melville

Mad Bomber Melville is the long overdue biography of Samuel Melville, a white, working class revolutionary, whose guerrilla bombings of Manhattan skyscrapers, housing government and corporate offices driving the Vietnam War, set in motion a flood of armed revolutionary actions in the United States during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Once imprisoned, Melville became a key organizer and a crucial element of the notorious Attica Prison rebellion, uniting prisoners across racial barriers and making the ultimate sacrifice for revolutionary change. Mad Bomber Melville traces Sam Melville s short life and rapid political development, highlighting a much-needed example of an undying and uncompromising struggle for justice and liberation.

Leslie James Pickering was a Founder and Spokesperson for the North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office, serving with the organization from early 2000 until the summer of 2002. During this period the Press Office sustained two raids by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and local law enforcement agencies, responded to over a half dozen grand jury subpoenas, conducted public presentations, produced booklets, newspapers, magazines, and a video on the Earth Liberation Front and handled the public release of communiques for dozens of the most vital Earth Liberation Front actions. Through the Press Office, Leslie was the editor of Resistance, the Journal of the North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office, and many other independently produced materials regarding the Earth Liberation Front. Leslie has handled countless local, national and international media inquires, resulting in articles in The New York Times, The Washington Times, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Christian Science Monitor, Rolling Stone, The Village Voice and many more, conducted interviews with ABC, NBC, CNN, FOX, CBC, BBC, National Geographic TV and many others, and has given lectures at American University, Lewis & Clark College, Saint Michael s University, Furman University, Bard College, New York University, Fresno State College, Macalester College, University of West Los Angeles, Princeton University, Mercyhurst College, Syracuse University, Buffalo State College and others. Leslie s first book, Earth Liberation Front 1997-2002 was published by Arissa Media Group in 2003 and he has written articles in the Earth First! Journal and Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth published on AK Press and others. He has a California High School Equivalency Diploma, a BA in Community Organizing and Journalism and a MA in History of American Social Justice Struggles and Journalism from Goddard College. Leslie lives in his hometown of Buffalo, NY.