Fifty Years of Freedom

''Fifty Years of Freedom: A Study of the Development of the Ideas of A. S. Neill'' is a 1972 intellectual biography of the British pedagogue A. S. Neill by Ray Hemmings. It traces how Homer Lane, Wilhelm Reich, Sigmund Freud and others influenced Neill as he developed the "Summerhill idea", the philosophy of child autonomy behind his Summerhill School. The book follows Neill's early life and career in rural, Calvinist Scotland and continues through the influence of his mentors, Lane and Reich, and the origins of Summerhill after World War I. Written fifty years from Summerhill's founding, ''Fifty Years'' is a sociological and historical analysis of Neill's ideas in the context of intellectual and educational trends both during Neill's life and at the time of publication. Hemmings also surveyed progressive school leaders about Neill's impact on the field and reported their perception of influence on teacher–pupil relations. ''Fifty Years'' was first published in England in 1972 by George Allen and Unwin and was later renamed '''''Children's Freedom: A. S. Neill and the Evolution of the Summerhill Idea''''' for its 1973 American publication by Schocken Books.

Contemporary reviewers considered ''Fifty Years'' to be the best available biography of Neill. They largely praised its clarity and biographical detail and insight but found the book's philosophical sections comparatively weak and the author biased, as a former teacher from the school. Provided by Wikipedia