The Last Innocent Year - Book Review
"There never was an innocent year...but there was a time when the delusion of innocence was easy to believe." (Margolis, Intro) The Draft, Vietnam, Flower Children, Riots, Women's Lib, Free Love, Hippies, the Grateful Dead, Drugs, Sex, Rock and Roll, the Beatles, Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy... these are all words and people who bring back thoughts of the sixties. Many people state that 1964 was the beginning of the sixties, because of all the things that were happening. The sixties were a time in history that many people look back on and see a revolution. "The Last Innocent Year" was a long hard book to read. But I made it through finally. In the book, Margolis uses many short descriptive stories that help to explain what unfolded during America in 1964. The subjects range from John Kennedy's assassination in November 1963 to the events of the Free Speech Movement uprising at the University of California in December 1964.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the 1964 Civil R...
Lyndon B. Johnson taking the oath of office on Air...
English: The Beatles wave to fans after arriving a...He focuses on the transformation of America through the events of 1964.
The first major event after the assassination of John F. Kennedy was the swearing in of Lyndon Johnson. I think that Johnson started out in the White House on very bad terms. It would have to be extremely hard to come into office after a great president like JFK. I don't envy Johnson, but he could have tried to make the transition easier on all that was involved. He told JFK's secretary to be out, so his "girls" (Margolis 2) could be in first thing. I really think that it was inappropriate for Johnson to be sworn in as President before John Kennedy's body was even in the ground. I didn't understand what the urgency was for Johnson...why did he...