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American Maelstrom: The 1968 Election and the Politics of Division (Pivotal Moments in World History) Reprint Edition
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The election of 1968 was immediately caught up in a swirl of powerful forces, and the nine men who sought the nation's highest office that year attempted to ride them to victory-or merely survive them. On the Democratic side, Eugene McCarthy energized the anti-war movement; George Wallace spoke to the working-class white backlash; Robert Kennedy took on the mantle of his slain brother. Entangled in Vietnam, Johnson, stunningly, opted not to run again, scrambling the odds. On the Republican side, 1968 saw the vindication of Richard Nixon, who outhustled Nelson Rockefeller, Ronald Reagan, and George Romney by navigating between the conservative and moderate wings of the Republican Party. The assassinations of the first Martin Luther King, Jr., and then Kennedy, seemed to push the country to the brink of chaos, a chaos reflected in the Democratic Convention in Chicago, a televised horror show. Vice President Hubert Humphrey emerged as the nominee, and, finally liberating himself from Johnson's grip, nearly overcame the lead long enjoyed by Nixon, who, by exploiting division and channeling the national yearning for order, would be the last man standing.
In American Maelstrom, Michael A. Cohen captures the full drama of this watershed election, establishing 1968 as the hinge between the decline of political liberalism, the ascendancy of conservative populism, and the rise of anti-governmental attitudes that continue to dominate the nation's political discourse. In this sweeping and immersive book, equal parts compelling analysis and thrilling narrative, Cohen takes us to the very source of our modern politics of division.
- ISBN-100190878037
- ISBN-13978-0190878030
- EditionReprint
- PublisherOxford University Press
- Publication dateJune 1, 2018
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions9 x 1.3 x 5.8 inches
- Print length448 pages
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Editorial Reviews
Review
In American Maelstrom, Michael Cohen... provides substantial support for the widely held view that the presidential election was a pivotal moment in American politics... Embedded in Cohen's vivid narrative are smart, sharply-etched portraits of President Lyndon Johnson and the eight men - Eugene McCarthy, Robert Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, George Wallace, Richard Nixon, Nelson Rockefeller, George Romney and Ronald Reagan - who had caught the presidential virus."-- Tulsa World
"Cohen's captivating volume is the new standard."--Choice Reviews"Outstanding... Cohen's telling, in spirited and vigorous prose... is a carefully-researched account of what happened and how it affected future developments."-- The History News Network
"In Cohen's hands the story [of 1968] reads like a richly imagined novel."--The Jewish Press
"A fast-paced and engaging account... There are countless books declaring that one particular year--or one month, or even one week--changed everything. They're usually a stretch, but they're fun thought experiments, a chance to spitball on the contingencies of history. American Maelstrom offers a better case than most, plus it provides the irresistible opportunity to cast [2016's] candidates in 1968's drama."--Washington Post, Carlos Lozada
"[A] sparkling history of the dramatic and violent 1968 election."--The Financial Times"American Maelstrom is an impressively well written, researched, organized, and presented study." --Midwest Book Review"Spot on... [American Maelstrom] makes an important contribution by bringing out the significance of conservative populism in the 1960s... Readers would do well to look back to 1968 as we all try to figure out what the nation is going through today."--The American Prospect, Julian Zelizer
"No matter which side of the political divide you sit, American Maelstrom, Michael Cohen's look back at the 1968 election season, is as close to a must-read as there is."--Mike Vaccaro, New York Post"[A] thoughtful and revelatory new book."-- Jeet Heer, New Republic"Michael Cohen's new account of the 1968 elections, American Maelstrom, is a careful, faithful retelling of the story of that year and what it portended... Cohen's take on Wallace is one of the best features of a very good book, and helpful in understanding the otherwise shocking appeal of Donald Trump."-- Ed Kilgore, Washington Monthly
"[Michael A. Cohen] argues persuasively that this election ushered in the politics of division that has shaped American culture for the past 40 years and more."--America Magazine
Book Description
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Oxford University Press; Reprint edition (June 1, 2018)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 448 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0190878037
- ISBN-13 : 978-0190878030
- Item Weight : 1.27 pounds
- Dimensions : 9 x 1.3 x 5.8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,155,580 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #291 in Political History (Books)
- #415 in Government
- #877 in United States History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Michael A. Cohen is the national political columnist for The Boston Globe. Michael has written about politics and international affairs for dozens of news outlets, including as a columnist for the Guardian and Foreign Policy. He previously worked as a speechwriter at the US State Department and has been a lecturer at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
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Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the writing style well-written, richly researched, and engaging. They also describe the narrative as fascinating, contemporary, and well-paced.
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Customers find the narrative fascinating, insightful, and relevant for these times. They also say it's entertaining and thought-provoking, providing an important link between 1968 and the chaos of the 1970s.
"...paced look at one of our most interesting elections, and one of my best political reads this year." Read more
"...Election this history not only surfaced many memories but provided an important link between 1968 and the chaos so evident in the 2016 Presidential..." Read more
"...Richly researched with a lucid, engaging narrative, the structure of the book - with deep dives into all the major players in the election, all..." Read more
"...this election when I was 13 years old, I found this to be an interesting account...." Read more
Customers find the writing style well-written, fast-paced, and riveting. They also appreciate the author's great eye for telling detail and the structure of the book.
"This is a terrific book, well written and fast paced, about a turbulent era/year in American politics chock full of iconic figures from Richard..." Read more
"...This was an engaging and easy read." Read more
"...Richly researched with a lucid, engaging narrative, the structure of the book - with deep dives into all the major players in the election, all..." Read more
"...Cohen has a great eye for the telling detail, which makes this book a terrific read...." Read more
Customers find the sourcing rich, with a lucid, engaging narrative. They also say the book provides an excellent summary and story.
"...Richly researched with a lucid, engaging narrative, the structure of the book - with deep dives into all the major players in the election, all..." Read more
"...Well-researched effort coupled with well-paced, clean writing...." Read more
"...aware and active in 1968, I found this book to be an excellent summary and story, correcting a few things I remembered incorrectly, and explaining..." Read more
"...Humphrey, Nixon, and Wallace -- well done storytelling, and really incisive analysis...." Read more
Customers find the pacing of the book well-paced and perfectly timed to help bring insight into yet another tumultuous election.
"This is a terrific book, well written and fast paced, about a turbulent era/year in American politics chock full of iconic figures from Richard..." Read more
"...in full effect in the '68 election - and this book is perfectly timed to help bring insight into yet another tumultuous moment...." Read more
"...Well-researched effort coupled with well-paced, clean writing...." Read more
"Good quick reaading." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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If you thought you knew these figures, you'll be surprised at how much you learn about their political skills (or lack thereof in some cases), and what they thought their way forward was during the primaries, and how it contrasts with conventional wisdom about the era today. RFK for me required a complete rethink of who I thought he was.
And, btw, if you thought that political figures from long ago have nothing to teach us today, think again. Richard Nixon's political skills still resonate today (you can question his judgment while admiring his skills), and the retelling of Gene McCarthy's primary fight certainly has parallels today in Bernie Sanders' ultimately unsuccessful bid.
This book is highly recommended for casual readers and political junkies alike. It's a fast paced look at one of our most interesting elections, and one of my best political reads this year.
Cohen takes a look at all the big figures of 1968 from Lyndon Johnson, Gene McCarthy, Robert Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey on the Democratic side to Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Nelson Rockefeller, and George Romney on the Republican side. George Wallace was floating around as a potent third party force that worried both party candidates. But beyond these big personalities and figures of the day, the reader really gets immersed in the social aspects of the 1960’s riots and social unrest that managed to unseat the so called liberal consensus, which has had consequences down to present day.
American Maelstrom is a very readable book that I feel has a number of parallels to the way politics are today in this country. If you read just one history book this year, it should be this one.
Top reviews from other countries
Whether it is the hate-filled speech of George Wallace or the leftist insurgency of Gene McCarthy it is almost impossible to read this book without thinking about the echoes that still reverberate today.
Cohen is a more than adept guide through this dynamic and fast-paced election campaign. It would be so easy to get bogged down in the details or, alternatively, to skim over some of the aspects of the campaign but Cohen treads a middle ground and keeps things fresh and interesting throughout.


