The Columbia Guide to America in the 1960s

by David Farber, Beth Bailey

Overview

The 1960s continue to be the subject of passionate debate and political controversy, a touchstone in struggles over the meaning of the American past and the direction of the American future. Amid the polemics and the myths, making sense of the Sixties and its legacies presents a challenge. This book is for all those who want to take it on. Because there are so many facets to this unique and transformative era, this volume offers multiple approaches and perspectives.

The first section gives a lively narrative overview of the decade's major policies, events, and cultural changes. The second presents ten original interpretative essays from prominent historians about significant and controversial issues from the Vietnam War to the sexual revolution, followed by a concise encyclopedia articles organized alphabetically. This section could stand as a reference work in itself and serves to supplement the narrative. Subsequent sections include short topical essays, special subjects, a brief chronology, and finally an extensive annotated bibliography with ample information on books, films, and electronic resources for further exploration.

With interesting facts, statistics, and comparisons presented in almanac style as well as the expertise of prominent scholars, The Columbia Guide to America in the 1960s is the most complete guide to an enduringly fascinating era.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231518079
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	04/09/2003
Series:	Columbia Guides to American History and Cultures
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	528
Lexile:	1370L (what's this?)
File size:	24 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

David Farber is the author/editor of three books on the sixties including The Age of Great Dreams and Chicago '68. A professor of history at the University of New Mexico, he has been described by Alan Brinkley as the leading scholar in the field.Beth Bailey is the author of three books, including Sex in the Heartland— described by Carolyn See in the Washington Post as "a treasury of useful information"—and From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in Twentieth-Century America. She is an associate professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Table of Contents

Part 1: The American Sixties: A Brief History
John Kennedy and the Promise of Leadership
The Civil Rights Revolution
The Great Society
The Vietnam War
Polarization
Sixties Culture
Part 2: Debating the Sixties
The Upheaval of Jim Crow: African Americans and the Struggle for Civil Rights in the 1960s, by Beth Tompkins Bates
The New Left: Democratic Reformers or Left-Wing Revolutionaries?, by Doug Rossinow
Losing Ground? The Great Society in Historical Perspective, by Edward Berkowitz
Urban Uprisings: Riots or Rebellions?, by Heather Ann Thompson
Explaining the Tragedy of Vietnam, by Richard H. Innerman
The Women's Movement: Liberation for Whom?, by Beth Bailey
Debating the Counterculture: Ecstasy and Anxiety over the Hip Alternative, by Michael Wm. Doyle
Political Conservatism in the Sixties: Silent Majority or White Backlash?, by Jeff Roche
The Sixties Legacy: "The Destructive Generation" or "Years of Hope"?, by David Farber
Part 3: The Sixties A to Z
Part 4: Short Topical Essays
Part 5: Special Sections
Part 6: Chronology
Part 7: Annotated Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

It's hard to imagine a more useful multi-function library resource than this latest entry in the Columbia Guide series... everyone from 'the Greatest Generation'to that generation's great-grandchildren can learn something here.

Booklist

There are many books written about the United States during the 1960s; none are quite like this one.The Columbia Guide to America in the 1960s is a multi-purpose book.

Australasian Journal of American Studies - Jennifer Clark

This book is a fine addition to any library's collection, so good that faculty may want their students to purchase a copy. If other volumes in the series are half so impressive, libraries may want the series on standing order.

Choice

It's hard to imagine a more useful multi-function library resource than this latest entry in the Columbia Guide series... everyone from 'the Greatest Generation'to that generation's great-grandchildren can learn something here.

Booklist

There are many books written about the United States during the 1960s; none are quite like this one. The Columbia Guide to America in the 1960s is a multi-purpose book.

— Jennifer Clark

Australasian Journal of American Studies