Miami and the Siege of Chicago: An Informal History of the Republican and Democratic Conventions of 1968

Those who were not alive or conscious in 1968 might dismiss this as history, but Norman Mailer's brilliant reportage from the 1968 conventions skillfully skews American politics then and now. His elaborate portraits of politicians still ring true. The upstart Ronald Reagan -- "For years in the movies he had played the good guy and been proud of it. If he didn't get the girl, it was because he was too good a guy to be overwhelmingly attractive.... Since this was conceivably the inner sex drama of half of respectable America, he was wildly popular with Republicans." And here's Mailer on the robotic Nixon: "SMILE said his brain. FLASH went the teeth. But the voice seemed to give away that..." Even Mailer's lament for the American Left seems fresh: "The Left was not ready, the Left was years away from a vision sufficiently complex to give life to the land, the Left had not yet learned to talk a cross the rugged individualism of the more rugged in America..." So read this as history, or as the best of the New Journalism, but it is also politics, sadly, as usual, presented without the usual detachment.

He goes to Miami to cover the republican convention of 1968 and goes on and on about how wrong they are. That is the first 1/3 of the book. Then he goes to Chicago to cover the DNC and while he rips on Mayor Dayley and his need to control and has the attitude of I'll show them, that was pretty accurate.It is true the police in Chicago had to restore some order in spots but those kids were not there to light the city on fire or anything. What Mailer should have focused on was at the time, what a mess the democratic party was and how it was still reeling from the loss of JFK and then RFK.I gave it three stars because it is so descriptive.But if you are looking for a balanced view, don't count on it from Mailer.

I first read this book when it was first published almost 50 years ago. I had forgotten, not the event itself, but how great an author Mailer really was. His descriptions of the characters involved and the places where all of this history took place is nothing short of brilliant.Yes, we were all crazy - especially Mailer - but this was a moment in history not to be forgotten. Read this accounting of it, whether for the first time or the second, and I promise you won't forget it either.

In the first half of the book, Mailer is an excellent reporter and critical observer covering the Republican convention. In the second half, he is a committed partisan recounting his active participation in the protests surrounding the Democratic convention. The first half of the book is better.

The writer of this book must have been at these places. The graphic clarity is too profound to be imagined. Norman Mailer, Ernest Hemmigway, and MacKinlay Kantor are 3 of my favorites.

Mailer had a go at Gonzo journalism, while covering the 1968 presidential primary conventions of both parties. He is perhaps less wild than Hunter Thompson, but was a better writer, possessing talent for soul searching, clarity and even poetry that Thompson lacked. The subject matter is dated, but covers a pivotal epoch in recent American history. Covering the transformation from the old guard of corrupt politics to the hope of the 60's counter culture, and the realization that drugs and music were not the answer to an evolving police state.

The establishment and the counter culture clash in a momentous time. Neither will be the same again. A literary review of history with personal experience added. Mailer's access with reporters credentials and personal admiration from the youth groups offers a unique perspective into the time.

I wanted to learn more about the 1968 conventions. This book did not work for me. I read a lot of fictionalize history, but this one just seems to provide too much detail of the fiction and does not get enough into the history to make the reading of the history worthwhile. I'll try another author for this.

Exceptional writing - brings the conventions of 68 to life vividly. Mailer never falters in his critical eye, turning it even against himself. Hard not to see 68 as the dawn of modern America.

good