Kent State: An American Tragedy [Hardcover]

Longlisted for the 2024 National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction This is an admirably patient and thorough book, in which even the copious footnotes are worth poring over .& Beneath the chronicle of systemic failure and senseless slaughter is a portrait of a country in the throes of madness. Couldnt be more relevant& 'Kent State: An American Tragedy' has a strong claim on being the definitive account. Vivid, comprehensive& VanDeMark gives voice to both students and Guardsmen. [A] serious and substantial reckoning& [VanDeMark] takes a more complex and compassionate view of both the frontline guardsmen and the student protesters who faced each other. VanDeMark recounts a country that had split into two warring camps that would not and could not understand each other& [He] succeeds at helping readers understand that atmosphere, creating a chilling narrative of the spark and ensuing tragedy at Kent State. Masterful and compelling &. He uses previous sources, untapped archival troves and a series of original interviews & VanDeMarks take could be the definitive look at the incident .... Masterful& A careful, appropriately dramatic final word. A compelling chronology and a detailed analysis& provides invaluable long-term perspective. Masterful.... The definitive book about the atrocity that took place at Kent State in early May 1970.... VanDeMark's thorough, balanced, and nuanced reporting, extensive quotes from scores of principals, and vivid, absorbing prose will stay with readers for a long time.... [This] top-notch book embodies the term Brian VanDeMarks beautifully written book forcefully reminds us of the Vietnam Wars impact on American domestic life, and the strife that tore us apart and destroyed innocent livesas at Kent State. Brian VanDeMark provides an insightful look back at one of the most tragic moments of the 1970s when four students at Kent State University were killed by the Ohio National Guard. VanDeMark unpacks how the story unfoldlC}