Witness to the Revolution

Radicals, Resisters, Vets, Hippies, and the Year America Lost Its Mind and Found Its Soul

De: Clara Bingham

Narrado por: Jo Anna Perrin

As the 1960s drew to a close, the United States was coming apart at the seams. From August 1969 to August 1970, the nation witnessed 9,000 protests and 84 acts of arson or bombings at schools across the country. It was the year of the My Lai massacre investigation, the Cambodia invasion, Woodstock, and the Moratorium to End the War. The American death toll in Vietnam was approaching 50,000, and the ascendant counterculture was challenging nearly every aspect of American society. Witness to the Revolution, Clara Bingham's unique oral history of that tumultuous time, unveils anew that moment when America careened to the brink of a civil war at home, as it fought a long, futile war abroad.

Woven together from 100 original interviews, Witness to the Revolution provides a firsthand narrative of that period of upheaval in the words of those closest to the action - the activists, organizers, radicals, and resisters who manned the barricades of what Students for a Democratic Society leader Tom Hayden called "the Great Refusal".

©2016 Clara Bingham (P)2016 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Bingham ( Women on the Hill) assembles an impressive who's who of the activists, outlaws, and idealists who sought to bring America to its reckoning, for better or worse." ( Publishers Weekly)

great perspective on an era

A great perspective on an era. in this form with so many long quotes from all the different people interviewed, it can be hard to tell or remember who the quote is coming from. only one narrator men and womans voices are all the same. the history is fantastic and put together well.

Insight into War and Protest

I found it a very interesting subject, from all sides, and at times infuriating and shocking. I highly recommend it.

Understand History

It’s important that we understand our history. So many wrongs have been committed, so many lies told and so many people have suffered for the sins of others. Maybe they thought they were doing the right thing, or saving face, or covering their ass; but it doesn’t make it right ! To better understand today, look to the past because something similar has already happened and the lessons have already been learned.
I think this particularly now that we have the Trump (47) Whitehouse with all its radical, short sighted and misguided appointments. Lead by an egotistical fool, we must be ready for anything. Understanding history is our best chance of clarity.

Interesting, but also a bit confusing

I enjoyed this book and learned a lot. Both it’s strength and weakness is that it’s written from so many points of view. As a collection of stories from many people, it’s very effective in explaining different movements and capturing the culture of the time. However it was a bit hard to keep track of who was “talking” while listening to this book. I’m not sure that there would be a good fix for this, but just be aware of that going in. Each essay starts off with who wrote it and it will make more sense if you remember who is who.