Overview
Woodstock provides a comprehensive overview of the Woodstock Art and Music Festival, the famous three-day concert event that drew nearly half a million people to an idyllic pasture in New York in August 1969 -- and became a cultural landmark that defined a generation. It sets the stage for Woodstock by surveying the social and political turmoil of the 1960s, when America was rocked by civil rights marches, antiwar protests, and a presidential assassination. It goes on to describe the growing importance of popular music as a chronicler of these events and a driver of social change. The volume provides extensive coverage of the concert itself, including the planning and promotion, the logistical challenges, the key performances, and the crowd and atmosphere. It concludes by evaluating Woodstock\'s legacy in American life and culture, including the lasting influence and popularity of 1960s music and "hippie" style in the 21st century.
