West Germany and the Global Sixties The Anti-Authoritarian Revolt, 1962–1978

Advance praise: 'As the West German '1968' finally becomes claimed for history, many fresh perspectives come into play. In Tim Brown's excitingly original account, the unruly, boundary-crossing complexities of anti-authoritarianism appear in [a] refreshingly new light. West Germany [and] the Global Sixties brings the rhetoric of transnational history compellingly down to the ground.' Geoff Eley, University of Michigan Advance praise: 'With impressive analytical depth and comprehensiveness, Brown's insightful book situates West Germany's 1968 in an enormously rich tapestry of transnational connections, utopian visions, and cultural and political transformations spanning almost two decades. Vividly capturing the hopes and tensions of the period, this landmark study of the Sixties will be required reading for anyone seeking to understand the significance of 1960/70s' grassroots politics for German history and the global Cold War.' Martin Klimke, New York University, Abu Dhabi Advance praise: 'All politics is local, as Timothy Brown proves, transcending stale debates to deliver new complexity and fresh perspective on the 'global '60s', as this played out within the borders of West Germany. An absorbing story, well told.' Belinda Davis, Rutgers University Advance praise: '... a major contribution to our knowledge and understanding of the '60s. It fills a sizeable gap by providing, in English, a detailed account of the origins, motivations, mindsets and achievements of the West German 'active transnationals' who set out to change the world. Brown's central argument is persuasive: skilfully interlocking the local and the global within cold war, third world, and generational narratives, as well as radical political and countercultural affinities, he is able to delineate complex patterns of influence and metamorphoses along vectors of space, time, sound, vision, word, power, sex and death. What makes the book stand out is the sheer depth to which Brown analyses the political, social and cultural impact of the West German anti-authoritarian revolt upon all who came in contact with it. A tour de force in its inclusiveness, and a triumph of deeply reflective scholarship.' Ingo Cornils, University of Leeds Advance praise: 'This is a brilliant book, including the whole range of events and developments, political as well as cultural, that altogether shaped what today is known as '1968'. Thoroughly researched, Tim Brown's book masterfully overlooks the coincidence of circumstances that changed West German society so fundamentally in the 'Global Sixties'.' Detlef Siegfried, University of Copenhagen