Age of Contradiction: The Political Culture of the Dutch Revolt

Evocative and also useful history of the sixties, more especially as to cultural thought at its sources than as chronicle history. Well documented and with more insight from hindsight that was actually present at the time, maybe. It's also true the conservatives nearly died of fright and the reaction set in, which also explains the eighties and nineties. As the authors note in closing, one of the spinoffs here for conservatives was the rapid emergence of sociobiology, hereditary traits drummed up to explain inequality, etc...Worth reading, and as reference.

Age Of Contradiction provides a social history of American thought and culture in the 1960s, revealing research into the intellectual and cultural trends of post-World War II America. From the rise of feminism and black power movements to other ethnic protests, this provides a framework for understanding the events and tensions of the times.

I came across this book while doing a report on an avant-garde musical composer and her work in the 60s and 70s. I was prepared to be bored by the book, but, after reading the chapter that directly related to my subject matter, I was inspired to read the entire thing. The discussion of subject matter is done in a scholarly style, yet it is not so obtuse as to be confusing to the reader with little prior knowledge about the subject. If you're interested in the time period's trends and quirks, this book is a definite must!