Meltdown Expected: Crisis, Disorder, and Upheaval at the end of the 1970s

by Aaron J. Leonard

In January 1978, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed that “There is all across our land a growing sense of peace and a sense of common purpose.” Yet in the ensuing months, a series of crises disturbed that fragile sense of peace, ultimately setting the stage for Reagan’s decisive victory in 1980 and ushering in the final phase of the Cold War. 
 
Meltdown Expected  tells the story of the power shifts from late 1978 through 1979 whose repercussions are still being felt. Iran’s revolution led to a hostage crisis while neighbouring Afghanistan became the site of a proxy war between the USSR and the US, who supplied aid to Islamic  mujahideen  fighters that would later form the Taliban. Meanwhile, as tragedies like the Jonestown mass suicide and the assassination of Harvey Milk captured the nation’s attention, the government quietly reasserted and expanded the FBI’s intelligence powers. Drawing from recently declassified government documents and covering everything from Three Mile Island to the rise of punk rock, Aaron J. Leonard paints a vivid portrait of a tumultuous yet pivotal time in American history. 
 

Genres: History, American History

206 pages, Hardcover

Published May 17, 2024

About the author

Aaron J. Leonard is a writer and historian. His research interests focus on twentieth century US history, particularly Sixties history and the interplay between radicalism and governmental repression. He has a B.A. in History, from New York University. He lives in Los Angeles

Reviews

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meltdown Expected by Aaron J Leonard is a close look at a very short specific time in history and how those events have contributed to the world we are now facing. This doesn't so much refute the factors that are often pointed to as contributing to our problems but shows how this brief moment is more influential than is often considered.

This is largely a straightforward account of the events, mentioning what came before as well as how they contributed to many of today's problems. I know some readers might want more discussion of the complete chain of events up to now, but I think Leonard takes the best course. There are so many storylines, so many areas where we are still feeling the effects, that following all of them through until now would make the work unwieldy. By mentioning the effects they contribute to and trusting the reader to think through (or, heaven forbid, do some research) the connections he is able to touch on everything from the environment to radical right-wing extremism as well as how our meddling in other country's domestic affairs have consistently come back to haunt us.

I remember this period very well, I was in the military during this time and much of the tension involved the potential of the US getting directly involved in a war (or conflict as some prefer to say). Yet even with my memories of the time I hadn't fully realized just how much happened in such a short period of time.

One of the reasons to study history, whether academically or not, is to learn from it and perhaps avoid similar pitfalls and repeat positive events. It seems we have that backwards, we ignore the positives that might help make the world safer and better yet repeat the same types of actions that have consistently failed in the moment and created new enemies and problems in the future.

I would definitely recommend this to readers who want to learn more than the broad sweeping generalizations about why we're here. Don't ignore them, just add nuance to those generalizations and see what specific things, what types of mindsets, created the mess we're currently in.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Jordyn Kreucher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of breadth of topics here, definitely helps contextualize ~current events~ for me. I had to supplement the reading with a lot of Wikipedia searches and feel inspired to go on a US History deep dive this year.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leonard provides us with a quick rundown on the onset of the final phase of the Cold War. Short but sweet while still being quite detailed with its coverage of US and world events.