Kent State: What Happened and Why

I first read this book in 1972, only two years after the shootings. I had been a previous fan of James Michener for his careful research and descriptive prose. I remember reading this book in the front yard of my rented house and weeping. Very powerful, very emotional. It is recommended especially for any younger people who would like to have a better idea what it was like to live in these turbulent times.

A wonderful book without the radical liberal slant!The Kent State incident was one of the turning points for the public perception of the war and of and for those who opposed it.

When I read the reviews of this book I became curious. Several reviewers, who claimed to have been there, stated they did not want me to read this book. I began thinking, 'What do they not want me to know? What are they trying to hide?' So I took a gamble and read it. All the other books I have read on the subject were completely biased toward the students, but Michener interviewed students, friends and family of those students killed, the guardsmen, local politicians, faculty, police, firefighters, business owners, citizens of Kent and Ravenna, etc. I was surprised he didn't ask the janitor what he thought. When all the opposing points of view came together, I got a much clearer picture of the situation, and the circumstances, which led to the tragedy. If you want a biased book that ignores any facts that do not support their case, (e.g., Ohio law relieves the National Guard of liability for any injuries or deaths incurred while combating a riot) I recommend, I.F. Stone's 'How Murder Went Unpunished at Kent State.' But if you want a book that is unbiased, and lets the reader draw his or her own conclusions, this is the book. Or better yet, read them both and determine for yourself, as I did, who you believe is telling the truth. But in my opinion, James Michener's dedication to uncovering the truth made him one of the greatest writers in American history. And as for I.F. Stone, who the heck is he?

This book paints a portrait of the Kent State campus at the time of the shootings in May 1970. Tom Bates' book Rads is a good companion volume, which describes the Madison bombing which occurred three months later. Either book describes how irresponsible activism and reaction led to senseless violence and innocent people getting killed or wounded. Michener clearly chose sides when writing his account, but he gives a pretty complete picture of what happened, when, where and why. Some details of the National Guard's conduct were not available to him when he wrote the book. The Kent State incident was one of the turning points for the public perception of the war and of and for those who opposed it.

James Michener, better known as a historical novelist, did an outstanding job of researching the events that led to the tragedy of the shooting of four students at Kent State by the Ohio National Guard. Michener describes in detail the events leading to the shootings, including the deliberate infiltration of the Kent State student body by "red diaper" babies, bent on pushing their revolutionary views, even if it meant shutting down the campus, depriving many working class students of the opportunity of receiving an education. Michener accurately portrays the lives of the four victims, and the tragedy that resulted when they were caught in a power struggle between violent revolutionaries and an inexperienced and incompetent National Guard Company Commander.