The best-selling author of Nixonland presents a portrait of the United States during the turbulent political and economic upheavals of the 1970s, covering events ranging from the Arab oil embargo and the era of Patty Hearst to the collapse of the South Vietnamese government and the rise of Ronald Reagan.

Includes index. Author offers his source notes online at rickperlstein.net.

"Small and suspicious circles" -- Stories -- Let them eat brains -- Executive privilege -- "A whale of a good cheerleader" -- Sam Ervin -- John Dean -- Nostalgia -- The year without Christmas lights -- "That thing upstairs isn't my daughter" -- Hank Aaron -- "Here comes the pitch!" -- Judging -- "There used to be a president who didn't lie" -- New Right? -- Watergate babies -- Star -- Governing -- "Disease, disease, disease" -- New Right -- Weimar summer -- The nation's soul -- "Has the Gallup Poll gone bananas?" -- Negatives are positives -- "Not the candidate of kooks" -- Born again -- "Always shuck the tamale" -- They yearned to believe -- Bicentennial -- "You're in the catbird seat" -- "Don't let Satan have his way -- stop the ERA" -- The end?