The American Counterculture

"With great clarity, precision, and impeccable documentation, Damon R. Bach has crafted an important corrective to the myths, stereotypes, and long-held misconceptions about the sixties counterculture. Impressive in its scope and depth, The American Counterculture offers a highly accessible account of a movement that encompassed both hippies and allied cultural dissidents, interacted with other social movements of the period, extended from the coasts to the heartland, inhabited both rural and urban spaces, and shifted its orientation from cultural change to engagement with a wide range of political concerns. Moving beyond monolithic, static accounts of 'hippies, ' the book brings to life a movement that was continually evolving in response to other social and political currents, lasted well beyond the sixties, and left an indelible imprint on American society. Compelling and original, this book will no doubt attract the interest of scholars and students as well as the general public."--Gretchen Lemke-Santangelo, author of Daughters of Aquarius: Women of the Sixties Counterculture "The American Counterculture offers a sweeping synthesis of an important national story. With brisk pacing and a wide geographical reach, Damon Bach's book is especially valuable for its analysis of the relationship between cultural hippies and the New Left activists and the incontrovertible evidence it provides that the counterculture was not simply a bicoastal movement; it truly spread across the entire nation and made a lasting impact on American culture and politics. This is 'a trip' worth taking."--Sherry L. Smith, author of Hippies, Indians and the Fight for Red Power