About Leaf’s Politically Incorrect Guide to the Sixties, I know from Robert Inchausti’s excellent Subversive Orthodoxy: Outlaws, Revolutionaries and Other Christians in Disguise that the 1960s was not so radical as commonly assumed. In fact the most radical period in American history was the late 1980s with its violent thrash and political rap, plus the L.A. riots. However, I cannot recommend Leaf’s book because many important figures and topics are not in the book at all.

Among these are
- William Burroughs (who was I imagine a terrible seller in the Sixties but founded today’s nihilist anti-Christian culture and the “punk revolution” of the late 1970s)
- 1960s black music (free jazz was the real underground during most of the decade and James Brown and Issac Hayes the prelude to rap)
- the FM radio boom (allowed underground rock bands to be exposed)
- America’s intervention in Indonesia (brought Suharto to power and affected the spread of Communism)

Julien Peter Benney

Glad this site is of some use. I have lengthy bibliographies on both these topics which I will send your way. Keep up the good work.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

Yes I am aware of the first two books, and have reviewed the Addison volume here: www.billmuehlenberg.com/2009/07/28/a-review-of-movements-that-changed-the-world-by-steve-addison/

As to third, there is a good way for both me and my readers to become more aware of it: why not send me a review copy!

Blessings,

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

Can I add a few books I’ve read recently:

Movements That Change the World (Melbourne author Steve Addison) identifies the features of great world-changing Christian movements.

Lost History of Christianity (Philip Jenkins) opened my eyes to the spread of the church over the middle east and as far as China and how it finally died. Very sobering; God doesn’t guarantee the survival of all institutional Christianity.

Then there’s my own book, Revelation Reclaimed: the Use and Misuse of the Apocalypse (Paternoster 2009)

Jon Newton

Yes, well I had been reading a lot of books in that area at the time, and was not aware of any volume up to then listing and describing such books. So I decided to do my own. So it is really an annotated bibliography of 714 books, in areas such as economics, religion, politics, law, education, the media, Marxism, war and peace, sexuality, the environment, and so on.

As to obtaining it, I am not sure if the publisher (the Institute of Public Affairs in Melbourne) still has any copies left. I have a small amount left, for those who are especially keen to get it. I guess I can pass it on for free, if a donation is sent to cover postage!

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

The Trouble With Paris is also available as a DVD, which is really good for bible studies and youth groups. I heard Sayers speak at a YFC event the other week, and he remains, in my mind, one of the most astute cultural commentators going around.

Simon Kennedy, Victoria

Yes, and you had better get it soon, while it is still permissible to do so.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch