The 1970s
 
January 9, 2021
The following titles were discussed at our last session.  Thank you so much to all of those who joined us through Zoom.  It was wonderful to see you!
 
 
 
History comes alive : public history and popular culture in the 1970s
by M. J. Rymsza-Pawlowska

During the 1976 Bicentennial celebration, millions of Americans engaged with the past in brand-new ways. They became absorbed by historical miniseries like Roots, visited museums with new exhibits that immersed them in the past, propelled works of historical fiction onto the bestseller list, and participated in living history events across the nation. While many of these activities were sparked by the Bicentennial, M.J. Rymsza-Pawlowska shows that, in fact, they were symptomatic of a fundamental shift in Americans' relationship to history during the 1960s and 1970s. For the majority of the twentieth century, Americans thought of the past as foundational to, but separate from, the present, and they learned and thought about history in informational terms. But Rymsza-Pawlowska argues that the popular culture of the 1970s reflected an emerging desire to engage and enact the past on a more emotional level: to consider the feelings and motivations of historic individuals and, most importantly, to use this in reevaluating both the past and the present.
The 1970s : a new global history from civil rights to economic inequality
by Thomas Borstelmann

The 1970s looks at an iconic decade when the cultural left and economic right came to the fore in American society and the world at large. While many have seen the 1970s as simply a period of failures epitomized by Watergate, inflation, the oil crisis, global unrest, and disillusionment with military efforts in Vietnam, Thomas Borstelmann creates a new framework for understanding the period and its legacy. He demonstrates how the 1970s increased social inclusiveness and, at the same time, encouraged commitments to the free market and wariness of government. As a result, American culture and much of the rest of the world became more--and less--equal.
The fall of Richard Nixon : a reporter remembers Watergate
by Tom Brokaw

"The Presidential Medal of Freedom-winning former NBC host and author of the best-selling ""The Greatest Generation"" draws on his experiences as a young White House correspondent to recount the endgames of the Watergate scandal and the Nixon presidency."
Stayin' alive : the 1970s and the last days of the working class
by Jefferson Cowie

Asserts that the 1970s were the last stand of the American working class, a time when the goals of the New Deal finally faded away to make room for Reaganomics and a widen of the gap between classes
1973 : rock at the crossroads
by Andrew Grant Jackson

A fascinating account of the music and epic social change of 1973, the year rock hit its peak while splintering—just like the rest of the world. Illustrations.
The Wilmington Ten : violence, injustice, and the rise of black politics in the 1970s
by Kenneth Robert Janken

Grounded in extensive interviews, newly declassified government documents and archival research, this book thoroughly examines the 1971 events surrounding the Wilmington Ten, and the subsequent movement for justice that strongly influenced the wider African American freedom struggle.
Common ground : a turbulent decade in the lives of three American families
by J. Anthony Lukas

Probes the school integration crisis that shattered Boston during the decade 1968-1978 through portraits of three families--black, Irish and Yankee
67 shots : Kent State and the end of American innocence
by Howard B Means

Drawing on the university's recently available oral history collection, an examination into the Kent State shooting on May 4, 1970, where Ohio National Guardsmen launched a 13-second, 67-shot barrage on a student protest, shows how the shootings still reverberate in our national life. 20,000 first printing.
Live from New York : the complete, uncensored history of Saturday Night Live, as told by the stars, writers, and guests
by James A. Miller

Just in time for the 40th anniversary of the iconic late-night show comes a revised and updated edition of a classic oral history, which incorporates nearly 100 pages of new material from the past decade to cover new stars, surprises and controversies. 50,000 first printing.
Mayday 1971 : a White House at war, a revolt in the streets, and the untold history of America's biggest mass arrest
by Lawrence Roberts

Chronicles the largest act of civil disobedience in U.S. history, in Richard Nixon’s Washington, the 1971 attempt to blockade Washington, D.C. 30,000 first printing. Illustrations. Maps.
Other Resources:
American Heritage "How the Seventies Changed America:"  https://www.americanheritage.com/how-seventies-changed-america#
 
"The Real Legacy of the 1970s:"  https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/02/opinion/sunday/inflation-economy-united-states-1970s.html
 
1970s Fashion:  https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1970-1979/
 
Saturday Night Live on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/SaturdayNightLive
 
The Bee Gees Documentary:  https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/the-bee-gees-how-can-you-mend-a-broken-heart
 
Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President:  https://www.jimmycartermovie.com
 
YA/Children's 1970s book recommendations from Katie Jane:
                                             https://deborahwiles.com/kent-state-by-deborah-wiles/
 
                                             https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/19544
                                             
                                             https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626721661
 
 
 
 
 
Upcoming Feasts:

Plan to join us for the February Insatiable Readers!  Our topic on Saturday, February 13 will be "Award Winners."  We will meet via Zoom at 10:30 a.m.  Please send an email to pam.bainter@hooverlibrary.org if you would like an invitation to join the meeting.  
 
 
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