Additional information
by Rebecca E. Klatch (Author)
The 1960s was not just an era of civil rights, anti-war protest, women's liberation, hippies, marijuana, and rock festivals. The untold story of the 1960s is in fact about the New Right. For young conservatives the decade was about Barry Goldwater, Ayn Rand, an important war in the fight against communism, and Young Americans for Freedom (YAF). In A Generation Divided, Rebecca Klatch examines the generation that came into political consciousness during the 1960s, telling the story of both the New Right and the New Left, and including the voices of women as well as men. The result is a riveting narrative of an extraordinary decade, of how politics became central to the identities of a generation of people, and how changes in the political landscape of the 1980s and 1990s affected this identity.
Front Jacket
A must read for anyone interested in the history of the '60s, the unfolding of its social movements, and the search for and discovery of identity among the young activists of the period.--Arlene Kaplan Daniels, Northwestern University
"A very useful, almost encyclopedic rendition of two vital incipient movements in a very important decade in the social history of the nation."--Troy Duster, author of Backdoor to Eugenics
"A richly textured, fascinating comparison of Students for a Democratic Society on the left and Young Americans for Freedom on the right that reshapes how we understand the political generation of 'the sixties.' Klatch's brilliant and nuanced study of the life histories and ideological values of these political activists is required reading for anyone interested in social movement activism and the social history of American politics."--Kathleen Blee, author of Women of the Klan
"An exemplary piece of scholarship that greatly enriches our knowledge of the 1960s, even as it underscores the era's continuing influence on contemporary American society. But my admiration for Klatch's book extends well beyond its specific contribution to our knowledge about the 1960s. It is also the very best book on the social psychological and social/cultural dynamics of individual activism I have ever read. Need more reasons to buy the book? Try this: It is a groundbreaking study of women's lives in the midst of the gender revolution. You get the point. This is an important and engaging book."--Doug McAdam, author of Freedom Summer
"Rebecca Klatch writes about the sixties, neither to praise nor to condemn, but to understand. Her decision to compare SDSers and YAFers was inspired, and we can all learn much from her wonderfully sympathetic sociological skills."--Alan Wolfe, author of Whose Keeper? Social Science and Moral Obligation
Author Biography
Rebecca E. Klatch is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, San Diego, and author of Women of the New Right (1987).
