1968: A Student Generation in Revolt

This examination of an important year in Western history is published to coincide with the 20th anniversary of 1968. 1968, like 1948, was a year in which the Western world seemed to hover on the brink of revolution, and much of the impetus for change came from the student movement. In Paris, rioting students threatened to bring down the authoritarian government of General de Gaulle; in London the anti-Vietnamese War rally was followed by the occupation of the LSE; in Germany and Italy universities were occupied and massive demonstrations mounted; in the United States anti-war fervour and a decade of civil rights culminated in the bloody scenes at the Democratic Party Convention in Chicago. Hostility to the materialism of the postwar consensus made household names of Rudi Dutschke, Danny Cohn Bendit, Tariq Ali and Bernadette Devlin. Public attention was drawn to feminism, the pop and alternative cultures and the sexual revolution. The author is a leading oral historian, and has worked a

The year 1968 symbolizes a tumultuous time in contemporary history that featured demonstrations, riots, and resistance by youth. Fraser and his associates join the 20-year anniversary retrospective by examining student revolts in six industrialized countries: the United States, West Germany, France, Italy, Britain, and Northern Ireland. The authors interviewed participants, creating an exhaustive, comprehensive oral history of the time. The far-reaching scope of the book studies similarities and differences among movements, but necessarily eliminates in-depth investigation of groups. Of particular interest are participants' reflections on the rebellious era. Excellent bibliography, chronology, and index.Melinda Stivers Leach, Precision Editorial Svces., Wondervu, Colo.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.