The Columbia Guide to America in the 1960s (Columbia Guides to American History and Cultures)
Eminent historians Farber (Age of Great Dreams) and Bailey (Sex  in the Heartland) present an accessible, state-of-the-art  overview of the turbulent Sixties. Part narrative history and  interpretation, part almanac, chronology, and glossary, the book  offers an introspective yet entertaining investigation for those  who remember the age as well as for those just being introduced  to it. The most stimulating chapter includes essays by  contributing scholars who assess the legacies of the Civil  Rights movement, the Vietnam War, the New Left, the women's  movement, and the sexual revolution. An excellent glossary,  which includes one-paragraph to one-page views of well-known  political leaders and such cultural icons as Twiggy, the Beach  Boys, the Beatles, and Janis Joplin, bolsters Farber's somewhat  sketchy historical summary. In turn, short essays that discuss  such topics as the environmental movement, significant legal  cases, and religion enhance the glossary. The book concludes  with a chronology, demographics, and a comprehensive annotated  bibliography, which is noted more for its inclusiveness than the  substance of the annotations. One small weakness in this  seven-part book is that the affiliations and publications of the  secondary contributors are not identified. For another  collection of interpretative essays on the Sixties, see  Alexander Bloom's Long Time Gone (Oxford Univ., 2001). Highly  recommended for academic and public libraries. Karl Helicher,  Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PACopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.