New Swedish Books, Autumn 2018 1
New Swedish Books 42 68 1968 has gone down in his
tory as a year of worldwide youth rebellion that defined an epoch. But in retrospect, it seems that the symbolic value of revolt may be more significant than the revolutionary efforts themselves. In his book 68, historian Henrik Berggren shows how nation after nation saw their dreams of revolution dwindle into nothing as the political establishment worked to reinforce its position – in France, the USA, the Soviet Union and Sweden. This year saw a historical election victory for the Social Democrats in Sweden, which flew in the face of all the hopes of protesting leftwing students. However, the culture of 1968 lived on: the soundtrack and images; the Beatles and Andy Warhol; TV’s depiction of political events. In moving, essayistic prose, Berggren writes about the explosion in education, youth culture, pop art, secularisation, work and leisure, and sexual liberation. Sweden is the focus of this exposition, but in an international context. The book presents 1968 as the local version of a global phenomenon, and it is richly illustrated with comprehensive imagery.