The Kent State Coverup [Paperback]

James Munves (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 27, 2001

On May 4, 1970, two platoons of Ohio National Guardsmen fired on a crowd of students at Kent State University, killing four and wounding nine. Neither the federal government nor the state of Ohio took any responsibility for the guardsmens actions. Through the account of the subsequent civil trial, we follow the events of that tragic day, as experienced by the victims and their families, and share their frustration as they try to discover the truth.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Munves, a native of New York City, has written articles and fiction for The New Yorker, The Nation, and other publications. He has long campaigned for non-violence as a member of the Kairos Community and the War Resisters League. He is the author of the novel, Andes Rising, published in 1999 by New Directions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (March 27, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595174922
• ISBN-13: 978-0595174928
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,752,944 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Badly outdates the Mitchner book., November 21, 2010

By 

Douglas E. Libert "howitt" (parkersburg wv) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Kent State Coverup (Paperback)

This is the best out of the 4 books I read on the Kent State Massacre. One of the lawyers involved in the civil suit against the National Guard is one of the co-authors.The Michener book is badly dated(before rubber bullets A.D. for riot control). The legal issues are deeply explored and the villain in this book is primarily toted as the judge at the civil trial whose pronouncements most definitely favored the National Guard. At times this judges decisions are purly just plain outrageous according to the author of the book. i had to agree. Mitchener tries to be balanced but overlooks that the National guard had real bullets while the students had some rocks and the middle finger.Rubber bullets might have been justified had they had them at that time.All of the US Army experts used by Kelsner at the civil tial said rifle butts and bayonets would have been sufficient without the live 30 caliber M-1 rounds. Mitchner in his books tries to somewhat justify the shootings and with the advent and use of rubber bullets and better riot gases,his rationalizations in favor of the guard make hime look somewhat like a "skinflint". It's today called the "Kent State Massacre" and not the "Triumph of the ONG at Kent State.The book proved to me it was all a case of the Guard using "excessive force" on some kids away from home for the first time.