Chicago '68 [Hardcover]

David Farber (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226238008 | ISBN-13: 978-0226238005 | Publication Date: April 25, 1988 | Edition: 1

Entertaining and scrupulously researched, Chicago '68 reconstructs the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago—an epochal moment in American cultural and political history. By drawing on a wide range of sources, Farber tells and retells the story of the protests in three different voices, from the perspectives of the major protagonists—the Yippies, the National Mobilization to End the War, and Mayor Richard J. Daley and his police. He brilliantly recreates all the excitement and drama, the violently charged action and language of this period of crisis, giving life to the whole set of cultural experiences we call "the sixties."

"Chicago '68 was a watershed summer. Chicago '68 is a watershed book. Farber succeeds in presenting a sensitive, fairminded composite portrait that is at once a model of fine narrative history and an example of how one can walk the intellectual tightrope between 'reporting one's findings' and offering judgements about them."—Peter I. Rose, Contemporary Sociology

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For Yippie activists led by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, police clubbing of demonstrators outside the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention was a sign that revolution was at hand. To Mayor Richard Daley, street theater represented a direct threat to his political machine, while the antiwar movement used Chicago as a platform to protest U.S. involvement in Vietnam and racism. This fast-paced chronicle by a professor of history at the University of Hawaii illuminates the hopes and self-righteousness of both protestors and protectors of the social order. The Yippies tried to interject hippie culture into the politics of participatory democracy, but, argues Farber, they fell back on slogans and charismatic leadership. His thoughtful narrative captures the energy and optimism of the '60s, and it includes revealing cameos of Paul Krassner, Ed Sanders, Dave Dellinger, Tom Hayden and other familiar figures. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Historian Farber successsfully uses Chicago in the political summer of 1968 as a metaphor for the confluence of American political-cultural impulses of the 1960s. He discusses the Youth International Party (Yippies), Mobilization to End the War, and Mayor Richard J. Daley. He plumbs the factions and contradictions of the media-driven New Left with an acuity that exceeds that of Todd Gitlin in The Sixties . The book is exceptionally well written and researched, with special attention devoted to the underground news sources, films, and interviews. Highly recommended.James L. Jablonowski, Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 334 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (April 25, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226238008
• ISBN-13: 978-0226238005
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #357,858 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book is Key to Understanding the 1960's, April 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Chicago '68 (Paperback)

1968 was a key year in history as it marked a reallignment in politics from New Deal Liberalism to Conservatism. Farber's book provides a detalied analysis of all sides involved during this turbulent time. Instead of concentrating solely on the extremist side of protestors, Farber analyzes the views and motives of the police, city, mainstream protestors and the most radical members of the anti-war period. It is a must read for anyone interested in understanding the currents of the 1960's. This book is a must-read for anyone born after this time. You will understand your parents better!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and Detailed, September 11, 2001

By 

J.A. Whitebread (Akita, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chicago '68 (Paperback)

Farber's book deals with the three main forces behind the Chicago protest: the Yippies, the Mobilization, and Mayor Daley and his government. He deals with each separately and provides background of key players and detailed analysis in regards to motivation and the ways in which each acted and reacted. I found the book to be well-balanced overall, giving each group credit and criticism, allowing the reader to make their own judgements. While I found some of the portions dealing with Yippie "philosophy" a bit boring, Farber seems to clearly understand the personalities, forces, and events that made for the events of the summer of 1968 in Chicago.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chicago '68, November 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Chicago '68 (Hardcover)

The only thing better than reading Farber's book is hearing him speak on the Chicago '68 convention -- an easy thing to do with him teaching here at UNM. This book is a great history, written to not be read like a history, but rather a story.