Woodstock and Altamont

Published to tie in with the 50th anniversary of these festivals, Brian Ireland revisits the events, taking stock of their historical importance, and to note their influence not just on popular culture and society, but as part of a new musical culture that developed in the late 1960s and which saw young, similarly-minded people engage about multiple rights issues such as military draft, free speech, civil rights, gender equality, drug use, spirituality, capitalism - even revolution. It explores the festivals' organisation, promotion, and unfolding, as well as their immediate and enduring impact. The book is also about the 1960s, particularly the political, social, and cultural changes that provided the context for these festivals. A catalyst for these changes was the `baby boom' that provided the `foot soldiers' for both the Vietnam War and the counterculture that opposed it. It also provided the audiences for music festivals such as the annually recurring Newport Folk Festival,