The major point of this book is that the 70s were the beginning of the "southernization" of America. That's an important point. Southern music, (Allman Brothers, etc.), fashion, (cowboy bars and clothes) religion (evangelicals) and especially its conservative politics (the rise of the sun belt and its patron saint, R. Reagan) are all still with us today. Okay, not cowboy bars, but the rest.

But I see two problems in the book.

First, Schulman pits disco fans against punk fans. He suggests that disco was disparaged by punks in part because its fans were gay people and blacks. That sounds simplistic to me and it ignores the punks who were themselves gay and black.

Second, and more importantly, the book on the 70s that treats the gay rights movement as a fashion trend and does not even mention San Francisco's Harvey Milk, a seminal leader in that movement is grossly negligent and detracted from its credibility. I had the opportunity of asking the author about this and he replied, "I plead guilty."

Do later editions of the book include Milk? I have not checked.

A well-written review of a decade that tends to be passed over by historians and cultural observers. Professor Bruce Schulman's strongest topics include the chapter on gender relations and the chapter describing Nixon's influence on later politicians. Also, a good survey of the role politics and society on cultural media of the times.

Very entertaining and filled with interesting information. By thoroughly dissecting the '70s, it goes a long way towards explaining why the '80s were the way they were.

This book was very interesting to read, in light of the current economic crises. It is a bit dense and bogs down in some places, but definitely worth it.

I'm ready for the Gilder Lehrman in Atlanta!

Reprehenderit sunt iste quas libero et. Omnis soluta vitae ea eum eos dolorum quibusdam. Eaque omnis voluptatem aut et ut. Dolore repellendus occaecati.

Basically, Schulman's lectures for HI 365 in book form. BEST. HISTORY. CLASS. EVER.

"American politics pushed toward widening the circle of 'we,' downplaying the difference and including more in 'us.' That strategy might have been assimilationist, but it allowed liberals like Humphrey to provide economic security and political power to millions of disenfranchised Americans. It made activist government possible and popular. But during the early 1970s, Americans retreated from that expansive, universalist vision. Instead of widening the 'we,' the nation reconstructed itself as categories of many narrower units." (76-77)

"Credit cards did not turn thrifty Americans into frenetic borrowers. The Great Inflation did." (135)

"But the 'sellout' label misses the point. These icons, and their twenty-first century children, have preserved a Seventies emphasis on authenticity and freedom, on political transformation through personal liberation. But the market -- in particular, starting new businesses -- became the favored means for personal liberation and cultural revolution." (257)

I wanted to learn more about the 70s from a political, social (non pop culture) perspective, and this book delivered. I enjoyed some chapters more than others, and it sometimes veered into dry territory but all told, I thought it was a succinct, broad view of the decade. The other thing I liked about it was its connection to the following decade - the author did a nice job of illustrating the impact the 70s had on the 80s and other long-term effects of a decade that is usually only remembered for disco, long gas lines and Nixon's resignation

Decades are arbitrary distinction, but Schulman does an admirable job trying to craft a coherent narrative around The Seventies. Specifically, he views the decade through the rise of the Sunbelt (and yes, the "Southern Strategy") and its implications for American politics and policy. I do wish there had been more time spent on popular culture; we get a whirlwind tour of music and cinema reflecting the disenchantment of the era, and almost no attention on other corners of everyday life. I guess I was expecting unique insight into the zeitgeist rather than a breezy history tract. The political history is by now well-tread ground that is covered adequately - I do appreciate Schulman's discussion of how Nixon was cynically able to weaken the Great Society without attracting too much political resistance.

Interesting but not what I was hoping for

Interesting but not what I was hoping for. I liked the 70s and I was left with a bad taste in my mouth.

Schulman give the Seventies its due as a time period worthy of scholarly consideration. Throughout the book, he skillfully weaves together political, cultural and economic shifts in the American landscape. In doing so, he convincingly argues that the Seventies resulted in the southernization of the United States -- in its religions zealotry, cultural preferences, and political centers of power. Highly recommended read for those seeking to understand the ground from which the New Right emerged.