Description
Book SynopsisPresents the history of the 1960s that conveys the ferocity of debate and the testing of visionary hopes. This work begins with the civil rights and black power movements and turns to nuanced descriptions of Kennedy and the Cold War, the counterculture and its antecedents in the Beat Generation, and more.
Trade Review"A thoughtful, almost elegiac, examination of liberalism's moral and ideological collapse over ten famously tumultuous years... The book is lucid, and Burner's tone throughout is as measured and reasonable as the creed whose redemption he seeks... a valuable contribution for those still trying to make sense of the '60s."--Kirkus Reviews "A sane, reasoned, civil book on the 1960s by a liberal academic: Who says the age of miracles is over? ... Making Peace with the 60s is a fine book."--Philip Gold, Washington Times "Burner has mastered the large volume of recent historical writing on the period, has thought carefully about the major issues, and makes some fascinating connections among the civil rights movement, the Beats, and the student rebellions in the middle of the decade... Burner is balanced and fair-minded, especially on such controversial topics as the origins of black power, the social contributions of the Great Society, and the political mistakes of liberalism during the Kennedy and Johnson years."--Lewis L. Gould, Book World "Burner offers a keen-sighted, comprehensive analysis of a fascinating era... Readers searching for an admirable explanation of the cross-connections in this mythic decade can find them here."--Publishers Weekly
Table of ContentsIntroduction 3 I Sudden Freedom 13 II Killers of the Dream 49 III Resolve and Restraint: The Cold War under Kennedy 84 IV The Rucksack Revolution 113 V Do Not Spindle: The Student Rebellion 134 VI The Poverty Wars 167 VII The Liberals' War in Vietnam 189 Epilogue 217 Bibliography 225 Acknowledgments 287 Index 289