By the Light of Burning Dreams: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the Second American Revolution

The 1960s through 1970s witnessed tumultuous times in the United States. Political assassinations martyred charismatic leaders, while a destructive war waged in Southeast Asia taking an unimaginably grim toll. Yet, there was also internal strife, American Citizens yearned to be heard over the din of upheaval. These were voices of progress, from anti-war activists decrying bloodshed abroad to Women looking to safeguard reproductive rights; from African American Civil Rights Revolutionaries to American Indians making their stand. In By the Light of Burning Dreams, authors Margaret and David Talbot depict the progress of a new revolution, both cultural and social. The personas throughout the narrative are eclectic from SDS co-founder Tom Hayden, who’d overcome being jettisoned from his own movement to emerge a politician to Bobby Seale, who led the Black Panthers and watched its rise and fall.

By the Light of Burning Dreams is a moving chronology of the activism that burned bright in the decades of the ’60s and ’70s. Each movement is written about with a compassionate, yet practical view of their attributes and their shortcomings. The successes elicit joy, the setbacks provoking consternation, but the history provided in this treasure is illuminating and concludes with optimism. A+ History.