Fault Lines - BookWyrm

English language

Published Dec. 15, 2019

ISBN:: 978-0-393-08866-3

(6 reviews)

"In the middle of the 1970s, America entered a new era of doubt and division. Major political, economic, and social crises--Watergate, Vietnam, the rights revolutions of the 1960s--had cracked the existing social order. In the years that followed, the story of our own lifetimes would be written. Longstanding historical fault lines over income inequality, racial division, and a revolution in gender roles and sexual norms would deepen and fuel a polarized political landscape. In Fault Lines, leading historians Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer reveal how the divisions of the present day began almost four decades ago, and how they were echoed and amplified by a fracturing media landscape that witnessed the rise of cable TV, the internet, and social media. How did the United States become so divided?"--

1 edition

Matt B Gets Lit reviewed Fault Lines by Kevin Michael Kruse

Review of "Fault Lines"

5 stars

"Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974" is a smart, accessible exploration of America’s political, cultural, and social divisions from the aftermath of Watergate to the present. I intentionally read it after "We Should Have Seen It Coming: From Reagan to Trump" because both books cover the same era. While "We Should Have Seen It Coming" focuses on the rise of populist politics in the White House, "Fault Lines" shifts the lens to the grassroots level. It dives deep into how pop culture both shapes and is shaped by politics, revealing the interconnectedness of media, society, and governance.

One of my biggest takeaways from this book is that America’s intense divisiveness is nothing new. We’ve been arguing—loudly—over income inequality, racial division, gender roles, and sexual norms for decades. Every new form of communication has simply given us a new platform for these battles, from postal mail to …

"Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974" is a smart, accessible exploration of America’s political, cultural, and social divisions from the aftermath of Watergate to the present. I intentionally read it after "We Should Have Seen It Coming: From Reagan to Trump" because both books cover the same era. While "We Should Have Seen It Coming" focuses on the rise of populist politics in the White House, "Fault Lines" shifts the lens to the grassroots level. It dives deep into how pop culture both shapes and is shaped by politics, revealing the interconnectedness of media, society, and governance.

One of my biggest takeaways from this book is that America’s intense divisiveness is nothing new. We’ve been arguing—loudly—over income inequality, racial division, gender roles, and sexual norms for decades. Every new form of communication has simply given us a new platform for these battles, from postal mail to radio, cable TV, the Internet, and now social media.

What I appreciated most about "Fault Lines" is how it balances being intellectually rigorous without feeling overly academic. The authors review major historical events briefly but meaningfully, then examine how each ripple affected political and social life. It’s nonfiction history done right: thoughtful, engaging, and highly relevant.

A passage near the end: "...[T]he end result of the new wave of political mobilization is still unseen. Perhaps these processes, now largely a mechanism of protest, will turn into avenues toward democratic compromise and the resolution of the many questions that have pushed Americans apart since the time that Richard Nixon stepped down from office."

Reading this book was a mixed bag emotionally. I learned a lot, politically and socially, and it gave me a greater understanding of how we got to where we are today. But it also made me realize that America has never done the right thing simply because it was the right thing to do. All of our progress has come through struggle. Every inch has been fought for. It’s exhausting to reflect on, but I can only hope the fight continues to be worth it.