Reassessing the Sixties: Debating the Political and Cultural Legacy

by Stephen Macedo (Editor)

Leading contemporary political thinkers, including George Will, Todd Gitlin, Martha Minow, and Randall Kennedy, examine the changes brought about by the 1960s and assess the influence of those changes on the health of the United States.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Richard Brownell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly even-handed collection of essays from scholars with varying positions on the political and social ramifications of the 1960s. We get to hear a little from both sides of the debate - thoughts ranging from the irreparable harm that the decade caused America to how it saved America from itself. Of course, Todd Gitlin, former New Left activist and former president of Students for a Democratic Society, does get the last word and does put in a commentary that defends against the conservative position.

The book was published in the mid-90s, so the essays flow through the prism of positive and negative reaction to the Clinton administration, when the president was pretty much at the height of his powers. On that basis, it makes for more a time-capsule view of the 60s rather than a thoroughly modern take. But worth a look.