America Divided : The Civil War of the 1960s

In America Divided , Maurice Isserman and Michael Kazin provide the definitive history of the 1960s, in a book that tells a compelling tale filled with fresh and persuasive insights. Ranging from the 1950s right up to the debacle of Watergate, Isserman (a noted historian of the Left) and Kazin (a leading specialist in populist movements) not only recount the public and private actions of the era's many powerful political figures, but also shed light on the social, cultural, and grassroots political movements of the decade. Indeed, readers will find a seamless narrative that integrates such events as the Cuban Missile Crisis and Operation Rolling Thunder with the rise of Motown and Bob Dylan, and that blends the impact of Betty Friedan, Martin Luther King, and George Wallace with the role played by organizations ranging from the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee to the Campus Crusade for Christ. The authors' broad ranging approach offers us the most sophisticated understanding to date of the interaction between key developments of the decade, such as the Vietnam War, the rise and fall of the Great Society, and the conservative revival. And they break new ground in their careful attention to every aspect of the political and cultural spectrum, depicting the 1960s as a decade of right-wing resurgence as much as radical triumph, of Protestant apocalyptic revivalism as much as Roman Catholic liberalism and rising alternative religions. Never before have all sides of the many political, social, and cultural conflicts been so well defined, discussed, and analyzed--all in a swiftly moving narrative. With America Divided , the struggles of the Sixties--and their legacy--are finally clear. Annotation In America Divided, Maurice Isserman and Michael Kazin provide the definitive history of the 1960s, in a book that tells a compelling tale filled with fresh and persuasive insights. Ranging from the 1950s right up to the debacle of Watergate, Isserman (a noted historian of the Left) and Kazin (a leading specialist in populist movements) not only recount the public and private actions of the era's many powerful political figures, but also shed light on the social, cultural, and grassroots political movements of the decade. Indeed, readers will find a seamless narrative that integrates such events as the Cuban Missile Crisis and Operation Rolling Thunder with the rise of Motown and Bob Dylan, and that blends the impact of Betty Friedan, Martin Luther King, and GeorgeWallace with the role played by organizations ranging from the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee to the Campus Crusade for Christ. The authors' broad ranging approach offers us the most sophisticated understanding to date of the interaction between key developments of the decade, such asthe Vietnam War, the rise and fall of the Great Society, and the conservative revival. And they break new ground in their careful attention to every aspect of the political and cultural spectrum, depicting the 1960s as a decade of right-wing resurgence as much as radical triumph, of Protestantapocalyptic revivalism as much as Roman Catholic liberalism and rising alternative religions. Never before have all sides of the many political, social, and cultural conflicts been so well defined, discussed, and analyzed--all in a swiftly moving narrative. With America Divided, the struggles of the Sixties--and their legacy--are finally clear

In this revised edition of America Divided: The Civil War of the 1960s, historians Maurice Isserman and Michael Kazin update their critically-acclaimed and popular account of on eo f the most tumultuous decades in American history. Drawing upon the latest scholarship, they include new insights into the Vietnam War, youth culture, and the lasting impact of the 1960s on American politics, culture, and society.

Boston Review of Books - Ben Healy

In their new synthesis history of the United States in the 1960's, former student radicals Maurice Isserman and Michael Kazin reinterpret the decade as a politically complicated dramatization of our humanity, not a Baby Boomer morality tale of sex, drugs, and protest....By showing how black power and white backlash could resonate at the very same time, Kazin and Isserman help us understand why debates over the 1960's continue to divide the union today.

"In America Divided, Maurice Isserman and Michael Kazin provide the definitive history of the 1960s."--BOOK JACKET. "Ranging from the 1950s right up to the debacle of Watergate, Isserman (a noted historian of the Left) and Kazin (a leading specialist in populist movements) not only recount the public and private actions of the era's many powerful political figures but also shed light on the social, cultural, and grassroots political movements of the decade."--BOOK JACKET. A history of the 1960s, discussing the social, cultural, and grassroots political movements that defined the decade, including the Vietnam War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Civil Rights Movement; and providing information about some of the people who spurred the era of change This is a survey of the political, social, and cultural history of 1960s America. It takes readers on a tour of the decade, exploring what did and did not change in the 1960s, and why American culture and politics have never been the same since