The Unraveling of America: A History of Liberalism in the 1960s

The New American Nation Series

by Allen J. Matusow, Richard B. Morris (Introduction), Henry Steele Commager (Introduction)

In a book that William E. Leuchtenburg, writing in the Atlantic, called “a work of considerable power,” Allen Matusow documents the rise and fall of 1960s liberalism. He offers deft treatments of the major topics—anticommunism, civil rights, Great Society programs, the counterculture—making the most, throughout, of his subject’s tremendous narrative potential. Matusow’s preface to the new edition explains the sometimes critical tone of his study. The Unraveling of America, he says, “was intended as a cautionary tale for liberals in the hope that when their hour struck again, they might perhaps be fortified against past error. Now that they have another chance, a look back at the 1960s might serve them well.”

Genres: History, American History, Politics, Nonfiction

560 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Allen Matusow is the academic affairs director at the Baker Institute and the William Gaines Twyman Professor Emeritus of History at Rice University.

Reviews

[Ted Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the first two parts of the book to be the most useful, as this was where the author concentrated on analyzing his thesis that the liberal policies of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations were misguided and ultimately unsuccessful. The book does a great job of presenting the details of the legislative battles that led to the major bills of the '60's: the tax cut, the components of the War on Poverty, etc. The author also is very convincing in his analysis of their drawbacks and paradoxes. I especially was impressed with how he argued that the way that Medicare and Medicaid were set up contributed to the rising costs of health care. The last part of the book, however, seemed to diverge from the central thesis. I always enjoy reading about the '60's counterculture and the emergence of the Black Power movement, but these areas did not seem to fit into the "history of liberalism" theme. And I would have appreciated a lengthier epilogue. 1968 certainly was dominated by a backlash, but the targets (as the author himself relates) were the excesses of the civil rights and cultural movements, not the inadequacies of the liberal policies enacted mid-decade. In any event, it was a worthwhile book to read, and I can't believe that it sat on my bookshelf for almost 30 years before I got to it.

[Kyra]

research making brain go brrrrrrrrrrr

[Michael Linton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book providing an overview of topics such as LBJ's Great Society, JFK's programs, Black Power, and the election of 1968. The author demonstrates (at times) how the liberal policies of the 60's failed. There is commentary peppered throughout, but overall, it just explains what happened. I think it's a great book covering the major topics of the 60's overall.

[Lucas Suter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid overview of the political and cultural upheaval of the 1960s. Matusow has a healthy skepticism of the New Left that is missing from many other histories of that decade, however some of his analysis of the Black Power movement falls short of fairness.

[Andrew Pemberton · Rating 3 out of 5]

dense

[John Vanek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid political history of liberalism and the New Left during the 1960s. Matusow evaluates the Kennedy and Johnson years against a variety of groups seeking liberation from something: radicals
 from 
capitalism,
 hippies
 from 
American 
culture, 
black
 nationalists 
from 
ghettos, 
and 
anti‐war
 protesters 
from 
American 
imperialism. Hope for liberalism in the sixties failed for good, according to Matusow, when Johnson's escalation of the war in Vietnam drained both resources and left-wing political capital from the cause. The book is notably silent about how the women's liberation movement fitted into leftist politics.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liberalism in the 1960s

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

really comprehensive look at the socio-political atmosphere of the 1960s and 70s with good bits on counterculture movements and New Left. Dense but very helpful

[Sean Chick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid but it does not explore the New Right as much as it should considering the book's length.

[Roy Rogers · Rating 1 out of 5]

scholarly hippie kicking with excellent prose.