Book Reports

The Kent State tragedy, like any other significant historical occurance, has a great many books written about it. My goal in this section is to rate these books so that the casual historian doesn't have to build a miniature library just to find out what happened at Kent State. My Ratings are on a scale of 10, with 10 being the best overall score. The opinions expressed, unless otherwise stated, are entirely my own and do not reflect any official positions.

Four Dead in Ohio, William A. Gordon. This is the best book I've ever read on the subject of the Kent State Killings, with the possible exception of J. Gregory Payne's work, which does not appear on this page. It explores the possibility of a conspiracy at Kent State, and is told from an excellent source (Gordon was heavily involved in the search for justice after the killings.) Without forming too many blatant hypotheses, the author attempts to view various questions in all the available lights, and then to form an opinion. While leading at times, it is usually fairly unbiased. My Rating: 9.6.

Kent State (Cornerstones of Freedom) , Arlene Erlbach.

Silent Bell , Gary Drake. While not specifically about the killings, this book uses them as a backdrop for a love story. From this seemingly trite perspective, we are introduced into a strange and wonderful world: kids torn between their love for each other and their love for freedom. While "wasting" a decade, the main character finds himself and his love. While not very appropriate as an historical text, it does prevent a perspective from which the incidents are rarely seen. My Rating: 6.3.

25 Years: Special Collections at Kent State University , Dean H. Keller (Editor), Alex Gildzen.

Communication Crisis at Kent State: A Case Study, Phillip K. Tompkins. This text is special to me because, as the title suggests, it explores the reasoning that a lack of communication on MANY levels led to four deaths on May 4, 1970. This is also my own theory, and after reading this text, I had confirmed that in my own mind, there could be no other possible reasoning. Wonderful study by a wonderful author. My Rating: 8.4.

Kent and Jackson State, 1970-1990, Susie Erenrich. This text explores another key to the Kent State shootings, and one that is *always* linked to them by historians, as well as by groups such as Kent State's May 4th Task Force: The shootings at Jackson State. It is hard to separate these two events, and this author does a good job of illustrating why. My Rating: 7.2.

Kent State: May 4, 1970, Barclay D. McMillan. A wonderful text by a wonderful author. This is a very telling, almost wistful account of the story and a probe into the reasons, and more importantly, the effects of Kent State both itself and on future conflicts. My Rating: 8.3.

The Kent State Incident: Impact of Judicial Process on Public Attitudes, Thomas R. Hensley. Hensley, like Alan Canfora and Jerry M. Lewis, has virtually built a career around being in the wrong place at the right time by exploiting the Kent State shootings. In my personal opinion, Hensley and Canfora, unlike Lewis, become subject much too easily to name-calling, closed-mindedness, and the desire to tell "their story." This book, however, is one of Hensley's more unbiased attempts at writing, and takes a critical look at an oft-neglected perspective. I quote this review:

From Carolyn R. Dexter - The Annals of the American Academy of Political Anthologies:
Hensley was interested in learning whether students would change their views about responsibility
for the incident as a result of court decisions, their support for the specific court, or their support
for the American legal system generally. . . . Hensley has produced a work in the tradition of
Hughes, Stouffer, and Lazarsfeld. . . . The clearly written monograph includes a detailed
description of the events leading up to the shooting based on a mass of documentary evidence
generated in the aftermath of the incident and includes the questionnaires utilized in the study.
Teachers of social research methods willfind this a welcomed resource for their students. It is
regrettable that thecost will prohibit class use. There is a genuine need for research monographs in
paperback editions.

Kent State/May 4: Echoes Through a Decade,

No Heroes, No Villains: New Perspectives on Kent State and Jackson State

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