Probably more a 3.5, but still a fascinating read.

Kirkpatrick goes through 1969 chronologically and he covers it all--politics, sports, entertainment. I read [bc:Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America|2393575|Nixonland The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America|Rick Perlstein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347835266l/2393575._SY75_.jpg|2400587] a few years ago and learned a bunch about the late 60s and early 70s; this provides a broader look at a single year. I feel like I learned a lot about the student takeovers on campuses across the nation; I had heard of them previously, but Kirkpatrick goes into a lot of depth about what the students did, what they wanted, and what happened. His introduction to the 2019 edition makes his political leanings clear, but I thought he treated these takeovers pretty even-handedly.

In politics, we see Nixon's first year in office, as he balances wanting to be a dove with Americans but a hawk with everyone else. We also see Ted Kennedy's career derailed with the death of Mary Jo Kopechne on Chappaquiddick, the rise of the Weather Underground, and the rise in protest movements of Native Americans...not to mention the Zodiac killer and Charles Manson. And where true crime meets popular culture, in the tragedy at Altamont.

Kirkpatrick spends a lot of time describing popular culture--he goes into depth on books, movies, theater, and sports. At times it felt like he perhaps went a bit too in-depth; I understand him wanting to connect the plots of the tv shows/movies/books to what was going on, but I don't know that I needed the plot synopses to be that detailed. Similarly, particularly as an Orioles fan, I don't know that the Miracle Mets needed THREE CHAPTERS devoted to them. THREE. CHAPTERS. *cough* Anyway.

As ever when reading about this period in American history, I feel slightly better about the incredibly troubled times we're currently dealing with. A good time capsule.

Pedestrian and chronological, with no analysis. No Why Did This Happen?, no What Effect Did This Have on the Country we live in today? And heavy on sports.

Cambodia, Apollo 11, the disclosure of My Lai, Woodstock, Chappaquiddick, the Manson family, Altamont, the Mets, Hair, Hamburger Hill, the Zodiac killer...this is the latest in a series of books meant to frame pivotal decades (1959: the Year that Changed Everything is down further in my library stack.) Unscholarly, with no point but the narrative, but vivid and a good review for my juicy US History class

As this year is a major anniversary of the year of my birth, I became interested in the happenings the year I was born. This is a good overview of most of the important events in American popular culture during that year. The events are outlined chronologically, which is helpful in understanding all the things going on at the same time in different spheres. It was really interesting to read about activities and events that occurred in the weeks leading up to and just after I was born. Fascinating book.

1969 was such a big year in US history because that was when everything and everyone had reached a boiling point. This book has GREAT information, but the writing was a bit boring. Felt like the author was just rattling off facts. However, the pieces on Manson, Zodiac, and Altamont were fantastic.

Some vivid period detail about the myriad events of a tumultuous year. Unfortunately, the seasonal organization of topics and chapters works against any effort Kirkpatrick makes to try and suggest larger thematic meaning to this bricolage of events. Also, however miraculous the Jets and Mets wins were, we did not need the level of play-by-play detail provided. (Especially for the pennant and world series!)

1969: The year of the Moon Mission, the Miracle Mets, the Manson Murders, Morrison in Miami, and Moratorium Day. It's also the year I came into the world, along with Woodstock, Hurricane Camille, the trouble at Chappaquiddick that perhaps ended presidential plans, chaos on campus, Broadway Joe's triumphant Jets, and continued floundering in Vietnam. I kept thinking as I read: "Wow--my parents brought me into THIS???" Tons of great information in a well-written, entertaining format.

Revisiting 1969 was an educational and enjoyable experience. Highly recommended.

Author Rob Kirkpatrick was about the same age as I was in 1969, which means he was more likely to be eating crayons than dropping acid like so many of the people mentioned in this book. Despite this, one of the strengths of 1969: The Year Everything Changed is the authoritative voice Kirkpatrick uses, lending a "you are there" feel to many of the events that are recounted.

Dividing the book into the four seasons doesn't really add much to the book, but having devoted sections on politics, entertainment, sports and major events helps color in what the U.S. was like nearly five decades ago.

There are the stunning achievements, like the July moon landing, but the year is marked more by strife--the ongoing Vietnam war that Nixon inherited, racial violence, student protests, the rise of groups like the Weather Underground that engaged in attacks aimed at the government. It was also a time of experimentation and the shedding of inhibitions--nudity was in and drug use was more openly embraced than it had ever been before. Woodstock is remembered fondly, though Kirkpatrick reminds us that it was marred by terrible weather and a surprising number of uninspired acts that limped through their sets. Woodstock shines in comparison to the concert at the Altamont Speedway that closes out the book, though. The Rolling Stones urged the crowd, mixing uneasily with Hells Angels, to settle down even as a man in the midst of it was stabbed to death, one of multiple deaths at the event.

Kirkpatrick also covers the grim parade of death led by the Manson family and the Zodiac killer, the bracing vitality of film as it covered adult subjects with a newfound frankness, whether it be Sam Peckinpah's blood-spattered westerns or the X-rated seediness of Midnight Cowboy (as noted, an X-rating back then had more to do with violence and less with sexual content--the film later got re-rated to R). There's also a great deal of sports coverage here, particularly focusing on baseball and the improbable rise of the New York Mets. For fans of the team or baseball in general, these sections are terrifically written, capturing the drama and politics of the sport. Still, the sports parts feel almost incongruous next to the nigh-endless violence that surrounds them.

The book ends with a brief look ahead to the 70s, rounding out how a lot of the newsmakers of 1969 fared in the coming years. Nixon had that whole "whoops, I taped that, didn't I?" thing, NASA's glory with the moon landing would end just a few years later and the hippie movement faded away, though many of its ideals would persist in some form through the 70s before crumbling away under the conspicuous consumption of the 80s.

1969 offers an intriguing slice of how different the U.S. was in the late 60s. While violent police action and the disturbing growth of their militarization rightfully makes headlines today, it is sobering to see how little has changed since 1969 when police raids were executed on flimsy or false premises and gun battles--with resultant fatalities--were all too common. The biggest difference back then is probably in how so many of the protesters and people agitating for change were also prone to violence. In an era recalled as one of peace and love, the late 60s were more often bloody.

While some subjects are touched on a bit too briefly--inevitable given that the book is an overview of so many major events-- 1969 still gives a good feel for that era. I can't say I'd have wanted to be an adult living in the U.S. in 1969 but it would certainly have been...interesting.

Recommended, albeit if you don't enjoy sports a not-insignificant chunk of the book will be a wash.