Interviews with Icons

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Joan Morrison and Robert K. Morrison

"Newly revised and updated and with an expanded introduction, From Camelot to Kent State tells the story of ten of the most dramatic years in the life of America - and of fifty-nine men and women who lived through those years. In their own words, civil rights activists, soldiers who fought in Vietnam, anti-war protesters, student radicals, feminists, Peace Corps workers, and many others take us inside the major events and movements of the period. Far from a dispassionate history of the Sixties, these stories bristle with the tension and immediacy of lived experience. How did it feel to step out of a helicopter into a Vietnamese jungle, to ride south on a freedom bus, to march on the Pentagon, to hear Jimi Hendrix play the national anthem at Woodstock, to attend the first consciousness-raising meetings for women at the Bread and Roses Cafe? This captivating oral history will let you know."--Jacket.

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Michelle Cook

Highlighting key figures in the African American fight for equality, this book symbolically takes readers through a people's history, from George Washington Carver to Jackie Robinson and from Rosa Parks to Barack Obama.

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Barron H. Lerner

Steve McQueen had cancer and was keeping it secret. Then the media found out, and soon all of America knew. McQueen's high profile changed forever the way the public perceived a dreaded disease. Public health physician Barron H. Lerner describes the evolution of celebrities' illnesses from private matters to stories of great public interest. Famous people who have become symbols of illness include Lou Gehrig, the first "celebrity patient," and Arthur Ashe, who courageously went public with his AIDS diagnosis before the media could reveal his secret. And then there are private citizens like Barney Clark, the first recipient of a permanent artificial heart. While celebrity illnesses have helped to inform patients about treatment options, ethical controversies, and scientific proof, the stories surrounding these illnesses have also assumed mythical characteristics. This exploration of the intersection of science, journalism, fame, and legend is a groundbreaking contribution to our understanding of health and illness.--From publisher description.

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Richard Blow

An editor at "George" magazine explores Kennedy's last, defining years, revealing how he dealt with the challenges of running a successful business, managed the pressures of a high public profile, and adjusted to married life.