Rating: 
Summary: A Few Rather Conspicuous Omissions
Review: As one who came of age in that eminently forgettable decade, Bruce Schulman's history of the 1970s brought back long-repressed memories of that wretched epoch (which Schulman defines as extending from 1969 through 1984).Synthesizing a 15-year period into a compact, 250-odd-page tract is no easy task. And Schulman does a reasonably effective job of capturing the social, cultural and political forces that shaped America in that era. However, Schulman overlooks several events, which, in my mind, are integral to understanding America in the 1970s. The biggest of these is the Iranian hostage crisis. The U.S. diplomats' humiliating, 444-day captivity underscored in the public mind U.S. impotence on the world stage, while the ill-fated rescue mission highlighted the deleterious effects of the "hollow" military in the aftermath of Viet Nam. These events lead directly to American voters' repudiation of President Carter. Schulman fails to even mention the hostage crisis in his analysis of the 1980 election, ascribing Reagan's trouncing of Carter to economic issues alone. (In my mind, economic factors and the hostage situation contributed equally to the Reagan landslide and the rout of old liberal stalwarts like McGovern, Bayh and Church in the Senate.) Similarly, the ignominious fall of Saigon in 1975 and America's abandonment of loyal allies -- dramatized by South Viet Namese desperately clinging to fleeing U.S. choppers -- lowered U.S. prestige, lead to increasing self-doubt at at home, and emboldened our enemies abroad. (For a cogent analysis of the effects on American psyche and world position, see David Frum's excellent chronicle -- "How We Got Here.") Schulman eschews any detailed discussion of this tragic event. Finally, Schulman spends inordinant time on 1970s musical trends -- from the vapid, ephemeral disco craze to punk and New Wave to country to the emerging rap genre. He dissects the impact of a broad range of artists: Bob Dylan and Country Joe McDonald; Donna Summer and the Bee Gees; the Ramones, the Talking Heads, the Clash, and even Peter Frampton -- to cite just a few. Yet Schulman neglects to mention the premier songwriter of the 1969-1984 epoch: Bruce Springsteen, who better than anyone, articulated the hardscrabble 1970s existence of blue collar America. Just how many times did Joey Ramone grace the cover of Time and Newsweek, anyway?
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting summary of the 70's
Review: As someone who graduated high school in 1980, I spent the 70s being conscious of events but not their significance. This book was an interesting review of that period, and really seemed to capture and summarize most of the political, social, and cultural events and trends that I can remember from that period. That being said, the author did not accomplish what he set out to do in his Preface--- convince me that the Seventies is an era unto itself. The book actually spans the late 60's through the mid-80's, which immediately diminishes his statement that this decade stands on its own. The book is divided into three distinct periods of roughly the Nixon years, Carter years, and Reagan years, and describes the different trends and events of each. I think his division made sense, but certainly did not do more to convince me that there were lots of similarities across these time periods. In conclusion, however, I enjoyed this book. The period is not often reviewed in history books, so if you are looking for a book that summarizes what went on during that time period this is a good one to read. It is very readable, and covers a lot of ground in a diverse set of disciplines. I would recommend reading it if you are at all interested in the subject matter.
Rating: 
Summary: 70's Scene
Review: Bruce J. Schulman's takes a look at how the Seventies shaped the political structure of today. The book actually stretches from 1968 to 1985 and Mr. Schulman deftly shows how the country's political power shifted from the Northeast to the South and how the country moved from the prevailing liberalism of the left to the conservative right. Along the way he discusses the presidencies of Nixon, Carter & Reagan and the social and cultural movements such as Women's Lib, The New South, Minority Equality and others as well as issues like property taxes, environmentalism, skyrocketing inflation and the energy crisis. Interspersed among all the political talk is a look at the music, film, television and how they mirrored the times. Mr. Schulman does a superb job of showing how the 70's seemed to a time of malaise, but actually shaped our country more than we think.
Rating:
Summary: The Seventies Schulman Style
Review: First of all, Schulman's concept of the 1970's as a unique historical period actually covers the period 1968-84 and makes some big omissions within that time frame. The dust cover compares the book to Halberstam's classic, The Fifties, Halberstam's book is twice as long and overall more insightful and entertaining. Politically, Schulman virtually ignores the Ford years, and much of our foreign policy, including events that had a deep impact on the American psyche such as the fall of Saigon, Cambodian genocide,the hostage crisis, terrorism, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, etc.
The book is very interesting in its analysis of Nixon's long range covert strategy to undermine liberalism and his animosity towards the Republican Eastern establishment and its old money backers. In another very interesting chapter, Schulman gives us his take on the tax revolt which actually began in the early seventies as a leftist movement. He has some great facts on Reagan who, for example, raised sales and income taxes more than 50% during his years as governor of California.
Schulman's analysis of feminism is relatively superficial and uninsightful and his take on culture is spotty at best, we are told a lot about a few of his favorite musicians while other important musicians and movements are ignored, a bit about movies and TV, and virtually nothing about art, dance, and literature. Overall, about a third of the book is great and the rest is just OK.
Rating:
Summary: The Seventies Schulman Style
Review: First of all, Schulman's concept of the 1970's as a unique historical period actually covers the period 1968-84 and makes some big omissions within that time frame. The dust cover compares the book to Halberstam's classic, The Fifties, Halberstam's book is twice as long and overall more insightful and entertaining. Politically, Schulman virtually ignores the Ford years, and much of our foreign policy, including events that had a deep impact on the American psyche such as the fall of Saigon, Cambodian genocide,the hostage crisis, terrorism, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, etc.
The book is very interesting in its analysis of Nixon's long range covert strategy to undermine liberalism and his animosity towards the Republican Eastern establishment and its old money backers. In another very interesting chapter, Schulman gives us his take on the tax revolt which actually began in the early seventies as a leftist movement. He has some great facts on Reagan who, for example, raised sales and income taxes more than 50% during his years as governor of California.
Schulman's analysis of feminism is relatively superficial and uninsightful and his take on culture is spotty at best, we are told a lot about a few of his favorite musicians while other important musicians and movements are ignored, a bit about movies and TV, and virtually nothing about art, dance, and literature. Overall, about a third of the book is great and the rest is just OK.
Rating:
Summary: The decade of disillusionment, disco, and disassimilation
Review: I have a preoccupation with the 1970's, as I should've lived in America and become more Americanized during that formative period of my youth. Well, guess what? I did a little, but not enough of the 1970's culture was filtered into my household. As a result, I felt alienated from America, and still haven't come to terms with it. So when I discovered Bruce Shulman's book, The Seventies-The Great Shift In American Culture, Society, and Politics, I saw an analytical treasure trove. Basically, the beginnings of contemporary America began not in the 60's, but the 70's, and Schulman effectively makes his case here. With the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy in 1968, the optimism that had lighted the country burned out into the disillusionment of the 1970's. The melting pot was transformed into a salad bowl in the 70's, as various ethnic groups went on the cultural nationalism bandwagon, be they African-Americans, Italian-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Chinese-Americans, whatever-Americans. I remember those commercials on a certain group, with someone concluding, "I'm proud to be a Chinese/Italian/Japanese-American." The various fads and movements are also touched on here, such as Werner Erhard's EST, radical feminism, New Age, the New Right Christians, the environmentalist movement, Gray Panthers, to list a few. Strangely enough, the SLA, People's Temple and the Moonies aren't mentioned. But the people thought there must be another answer. After losing Vietnam, we had entered, in the words of Jimmy Carter, "a crisis of confidence," even before he came to office. The feeling that authority figures were not trustworthy hit a high point with Watergate, and an early chapter focuses on Richard Nixon and his policies. This theme carried on later in Jimmy Carter's "crisis of confidence" speech. And while I'm at it--Jimmy Carter's given a sympathetic treatment by Schulman. His humble facade, attempts to de-imperialize the presidency, and Congress's tearing apart his energy policy are covered. Basically, he had good intentions, but came face-to-face with a Congress still steaming after Watergate. And what book would not be complete without entertainment? There was the narcissistic indulgence of glam artists KISS and David Bowie (both in my top artists lists, BTW), the continuing importance of Bob Dylan with Blood On The Tracks, and punk rock as typified by the Sex Pistols, Clash, and Ramones. The Clash's anarchic message demonstrated the anger against the establishment, and even called for people to "Kick down the wall/cause governments to fall" in the song "Clampdown." Even Saturday Night Fever, with its escapist theme living side by side with the economic souring of that time, is covered. There's a certain flavour in 70's movies, be it the hairstyles, clothes, cars, the vermilion dye that substituted for blood, and film quality that reaches out to me. The feeling of anger, disaffectedness, and distrust in authority from that bygone decade harkens to me. The Hegelian synthesis of Alan Alda's sensitive male and John Wayne's red-blooded macho male was an interesting read. This is discussed in the Battle of the Sexes, which includes Billie Jean King teaching Bobby Riggs a well-deserved lesson. The book concludes with the beginning of the Reagan Years, of how conservatism took over, and how counter-culture icons like Jane Fonda and Jerry Rubin sold out to crass capitalist values of the "My Decade." An additional postscript was how Grenada, Libya, and later Panama gradually brought America out of the Vietnam Syndrome. Schulman has done a wonderful job bringing the dynamics of the 1970's together in one volume.
Rating:
Summary: The decade of disillusionment, disco, and disassimilation
Review: I have a preoccupation with the 1970's, as I should've lived in America and become more Americanized during that formative period of my youth. Well, guess what? I did a little, but not enough of the 1970's culture was filtered into my household. As a result, I felt alienated from America, and still haven't come to terms with it. So when I discovered Bruce Shulman's book, The Seventies-The Great Shift In American Culture, Society, and Politics, I saw an analytical treasure trove. Basically, the beginnings of contemporary America began not in the 60's, but the 70's, and Schulman effectively makes his case here. With the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy in 1968, the optimism that had lighted the country burned out into the disillusionment of the 1970's. The melting pot was transformed into a salad bowl in the 70's, as various ethnic groups went on the cultural nationalism bandwagon, be they African-Americans, Italian-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Chinese-Americans, whatever-Americans. I remember those commercials on a certain group, with someone concluding, "I'm proud to be a Chinese/Italian/Japanese-American." The various fads and movements are also touched on here, such as Werner Erhard's EST, radical feminism, New Age, the New Right Christians, the environmentalist movement, Gray Panthers, to list a few. Strangely enough, the SLA, People's Temple and the Moonies aren't mentioned. But the people thought there must be another answer. After losing Vietnam, we had entered, in the words of Jimmy Carter, "a crisis of confidence," even before he came to office. The feeling that authority figures were not trustworthy hit a high point with Watergate, and an early chapter focuses on Richard Nixon and his policies. This theme carried on later in Jimmy Carter's "crisis of confidence" speech. And while I'm at it--Jimmy Carter's given a sympathetic treatment by Schulman. His humble facade, attempts to de-imperialize the presidency, and Congress's tearing apart his energy policy are covered. Basically, he had good intentions, but came face-to-face with a Congress still steaming after Watergate. And what book would not be complete without entertainment? There was the narcissistic indulgence of glam artists KISS and David Bowie (both in my top artists lists, BTW), the continuing importance of Bob Dylan with Blood On The Tracks, and punk rock as typified by the Sex Pistols, Clash, and Ramones. The Clash's anarchic message demonstrated the anger against the establishment, and even called for people to "Kick down the wall/cause governments to fall" in the song "Clampdown." Even Saturday Night Fever, with its escapist theme living side by side with the economic souring of that time, is covered. There's a certain flavour in 70's movies, be it the hairstyles, clothes, cars, the vermilion dye that substituted for blood, and film quality that reaches out to me. The feeling of anger, disaffectedness, and distrust in authority from that bygone decade harkens to me. The Hegelian synthesis of Alan Alda's sensitive male and John Wayne's red-blooded macho male was an interesting read. This is discussed in the Battle of the Sexes, which includes Billie Jean King teaching Bobby Riggs a well-deserved lesson. The book concludes with the beginning of the Reagan Years, of how conservatism took over, and how counter-culture icons like Jane Fonda and Jerry Rubin sold out to crass capitalist values of the "My Decade." An additional postscript was how Grenada, Libya, and later Panama gradually brought America out of the Vietnam Syndrome. Schulman has done a wonderful job bringing the dynamics of the 1970's together in one volume.
Rating:
Summary: Good Assessment
Review: This book contains an excellent, detailed description of the domestic social and political trends of the 1970s -- actually, notwithstanding the title, of the years 1969-1984. In a sense the book explores the early manifestations of the forces that resulted in G. W. Bush's victory last year, more than a decade after the book's time frame. It is, however, a commentary on, rather than a narrative of, events. The reader who knows little about the period covered should first read a more conventional history in order not to miss (for example) the full melodrama of Watergate as it unfolded its secrets and surprises over the weeks and months.
Rating: 
Summary: Failed attempt at sensationalist history
Review: This book review wil be short as people generally read the stars only. In brief, this is a thoughtful book which lays bare the political and cultural developments that characterize the 1970s in american society and help us to understand how contemporary political and cultural trends evolved from this complex and exciting period.
If you are too young to remember much from that period, this is a great primer. If you are of a certain age, this will provide both food for thought and a trip down memory lane. Well written, and not too long, it makes a great book for a trip. I recommend this book highly.
Rating:
Summary: A Cursory Glance of Recent History
Review: This book runs through the years 1969 to 1984 and documents some of the changes in the country. The author says a profound shift in power occurred in politics, economics, and culture. But the preceding years 1953 to 1968 also recorded many changes in the country in politics, economics, and culture. It seems arbitrary to pick "the seventies" and avoid the earlier times that led to it. The book provides an entertaining review of these years. One interesting part is the section dealing with the tax revolt in California (Proposition 13) and Massachusetts (Proposition 2 1/2). The devaluation of the dollar by Nixon ("monetarizing the debt") led to double-digit rises in prices. Fixed income tax rates led to higher taxes for most people. Proposition 13 limited the tax rate to 1% of market value; this reduced California property taxes from 58% above the national average. Proposition 2 1/2 capped property taxes at 2.5% of the fair market value, and limited increases to 2.5% a year. Neither mentioned the sales and income taxes, whose amount rises with increased prices and wages. There was no consideration of a depression, where sales and wages fall. To keep property taxes low and stable, the county must get a share of the sales tax, and the municipality or township must get part of the income tax of the residents. This allows increased costs to be met by increases in the sales and income taxes. There is a limit on cutting and controlling spending by any county or municipality, since they can't control prices. You can consider why the other options won't work as well.
|
