Synopses & Reviews
America Divided: The Civil War of the 1960s, 2/e, is the definitive interpretive survey of the political, social, and cultural history of 1960s America. Written by two top experts on the era--Maurice Isserman, a scholar of the Left, and Michael Kazin, a specialist in Right-wing politics and culture--this book provides a compelling tale of this tumultuous era filled with fresh and persuasive insights.
In this revised edition, Isserman and Kazin draw upon the latest scholarship to offer new insights into the Vietnam War, youth culture, and the lasting impact of the 1960s on American politics, culture, and society. They cover such important events as the Cuban Missile Crisis and Operation Rolling Thunder; the rise of Motown, Bob Dylan, and the Beatles; and the role played by organizations ranging from the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee to the Campus Crusade for Christ. Isserman and Kazin also shed some much-needed light on the era's often overlooked rise of the New Right and its far-reaching implications, which not only offer a critical dimension to the understanding of this period, but to the future of America as well. America Divided, 2/e, defines, discusses, and analyzes all sides of the political, social, and cultural conflicts of the 1960s in a swiftly moving narrative. It is ideal for courses in 1960s America and America since 1945.
Review
"A knowing and highly readable narrative."--Evan Thomas in
The Washington Post"Isserman and Kazin write with a marvelous mix of poignancy and wit. They take seriously the grand dreams of the era and they feel the loss of shattered hopes. They are also willing to poke fun at the decade's excesses."-- Reviews in American History
"An engaging account of a decade whose divisions characterize us to this day and whose triumphs continue to inspire us. An excellent introduction to the period."--The Boston Book Review
"Good historical writing consists not least in the capacity to convey the spirit of a time, the thoughts and feelings of its actors, and the passions hidden behind the silence of the majority. The historians Maurice Isserman and Michael Kazin are masters of this métier."--Die Zeit
"Students, and surely the general reader, will profit greatly from this concise text, with no revisionist ax to grind and with a truly national perspective."--The San Francisco Chronicle
"The level of detail in the book is just right, not getting in the way of narrative momentum, yet providing plenty for students to chew on.Overall, in terms of coverage and analytic bite, the book is the best--I'm tempted to say the only--choice for teachers seeking a work on the sixties."--David Hunt, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Synopsis
America Divided: The Civil War of the 1960s, Third Edition, is the definitive interpretive survey of the political, social, and cultural history of 1960s America. Written by two top experts on the era--Maurice Isserman, a scholar of the Left, and Michael Kazin, a specialist in Right-wing politics and culture--this book provides a compelling tale of this tumultuous era filled with fresh and persuasive insights.
For the third edition the authors have updated the text in light of new research, particularly scholarship on the war in Vietnam. They have also expanded the coverage of youth movements and the New Left to include Latino and Asian radical movements, deepened their analysis of the emergence of feminism, and added discussions of the Sixties of other countries. The chapters on religion and the revival of conservatism have been expanded to include recent studies that underscore how broad and deep the conservative movement of the 1960s proved to be. Now featuring new images to better illustrate the era, America Divided, Third Edition, defines, discusses, and analyzes all sides of the political, social, and cultural conflicts of the 1960s in a swiftly moving narrative. It is ideal for courses in 1960s America and America since 1945, or for anyone interested in the last fifty years of American History.
Synopsis
America Divided: The Civil War of the 1960s, Third Edition, is the definitive interpretive survey of the political, social, and cultural history of 1960s America. Written by two top experts on the era--Maurice Isserman, a scholar of the Left, and Michael Kazin, a specialist in Right-wing politics and culture--this book provides a compelling tale of this tumultuous era filled with fresh and persuasive insights.
For the third edition the authors have updated the text in light of new research, particularly scholarship on the war in Vietnam. They have also expanded the coverage of youth movements and the New Left to include Latino and Asian radical movements, deepened their analysis of the emergence of feminism, and added discussions of the Sixties of other countries. The chapters on religion and the revival of conservatism have been expanded to include recent studies that underscore how broad and deep the conservative movement of the 1960s proved to be. Now featuring new images to better illustrate the era, America Divided, Third Edition, defines, discusses, and analyzes all sides of the political, social, and cultural conflicts of the 1960s in a swiftly moving narrative. It is ideal for courses in 1960s America and America since 1945, or for anyone interested in the last fifty years of American History.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
1. Gathering of the Forces
2. Black Ordeal, Black Freedom
3. The New Frontier of American Liberalism
4. Why did the United States Fight in Vietnam?
5. 1963
6. The Rise of the Great Society
7. 1965
8. The Making of a Youth Culture
9. The New Left
10. The Fall of the Great Society
11. The Conservative Revival
12. 1968
13. Many faiths: The '60s Reformation
14. No Cease-Fire: 1969-1974
Conclusion: Winners, Losers, and Consequences
Critical Events During the Long 1960s
Bibliographical Essay
Notes
Index