Whole World in an Uproar: Music, Rebellion and Repression – 1955-1972

by Aaron Leonard

How the radical music of the 1960s was birthed amid unprecedented upheaval and systemic repression.

Decades since the radical music of the 1960s first hit the airwaves, the anthems of the era continue to resonate with our current times. 

Through studying these musicians and the political contexts in which their pioneering songs were birthed; amidst paranoia, psychedelic delusions, desire and civil unrest; Aaron Leonard's Whole World in an Uproar is an important new critical history of countercultural music from the Summer of Love to the unwelcome arrival of Bob Dylan.

Genres: Music, History, Nonfiction

319 pages, Paperback

Published February 14, 2023

Reviews

[Kenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very pleased to have an opportunity to read this book prior to its release so that I could conduct an interview with the author on behalf of the publishing press. You can watch our interview here: https://youtu.be/mhbWCGS8Exs

[Amelia]

well researched and super in depth! Loved this

[Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaron Leonard’s ‘Whole World in an Uproar’ examines the link between the music scene in the late 50s and 60s - from the folk revival to the burgeoning pop scene - and the political climate at the time. He looks in detail at the idea of the red scare, how the FBI investigated and tracked artists deemed too close too communism and a danger to national security.

Leonard’s writing is immensely readable - meticulously researched and dense with background information, but consistently funny and engaging. His scope is wide-ranging, and contributes to the sense that this is a real in-depth analysis. A particular highlight is the short section where he attempts to examine the politics of rock and roll music, before determining that there’s really not all that much depth to examine there; it might be catchy, but rock and roll music just isn’t about very much at all.

As one of the biggest artists of the era, it makes sense that Leonard would devote so much time to discussing Bob Dylan and the influence he had. This analysis is not uncritical, however - Dylan’s controversial switch to more electric sounds in the 60s also represented a move away from much of the politically motivated songs of his early years (and of his direct influences), and Leonard’s interpretation of the reaction to this never feels at all blinded by fanboy-ism, as might be expected.

Overall, a thorough and engaging chronicle of one of the most interesting periods for both music and political unrest, and very much recommended.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting walk through the intersection of popular music and politics over the greater 60s. While at times the narrative gets bogged down with the insertion of large sections of quotes from FBI files on the artist(s) being discussed, the book as a whole is very entertaining and informative. Highly recommended for fans of the artists involved (Dylan, Ochs, Airplane, etc.) as well as general music or pop culture History aficionados.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! A compelling and well-told history of the FBI’s monitoring, harassment and black listing of American popular musicians from the 50’s through 1972, based on declassified government documents. Fascinating and enraging.

[Gilbert Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Music history is fun history, its turning into my favorite dork genre if I'm honest