April 15, 2016
On May 4, 1970, the growing tension between the antiwar movement and the "establishment" came to a head when members of the National Guard fired on students at Ohio's Kent State University, killing four and wounding nine. Means (Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, the American Story) places the event in national and local historical context by examining the escalation in Vietnam and the antiwar campaign as well as the history of the university and the town of Kent. The result is an intimate look at a tragedy that could not be predicted but was perhaps inevitable and signaled an end of innocence, as the title suggests. Making use of interviews and archival research, Means reveals the event as one that could have been prevented, but through failures of leadership on both sides, seemed destined to erupt in violence. The volume concludes by investigating the question of blame, one which the author argues may never be adequately resolved. VERDICT Although Means raises more inquiries than answers, he presents a solid account of a watershed moment in history. The inclusion of the remembrances of those involved that day (guardsmen, politicians, students, and victims) lends a personal voice to our understanding of the shootings and the aftermath.--Michael C. Miller, Austin P.L. & Austin History Ctr., TX
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