Midterm Report

In a sequel to his 1975 bestseller, What Really Happened to the Class of 1965, Wallechinsky follows the baby boomers generation into the last decade to see how it has fared and what impact it has had on national life. On the whole, the 28 men and women of widely varying backgrounds and occupationsincluding President Carter's son Jackwho contributed to this oral history have led productive lives despite being a generation that grew up with the threat of nuclear war, TV, Vietnam, sexual revolution, drugs, rock-and-roll, and radical politics which affected some individuals greatly and others only minimally or not at all. Thus, although many Vietnam veterans are bitter, for one interviewee, three tours of service there led to a rewarding military career. The author finds that many of his subjects question established authorityboth temporal and religiousand are not afraid to ask hard questions. The class of 1965, he concludes, rates well as defenders of peace and freedom, lovers of education, environment and technology. Photos. 75,000 first printing; BOMC and QPBC alternates; author tour. (August 11)