In his seminal work The Eve of Destruction: How 1965 Transformed America, author and acclaimed historian James T. Patterson argues that it was the year 1965 - not 1968 or 1969 as many others have suggested - that marked a turning point in America. America, Patterson argues, was in 1965 transformed from an idealistic and upbeat nation to a radically different one.
When it was released, The Eve of Destruction received exceedingly positive reviews. Kirkus Reviews, for example, loved the book, writing that it is "A useful time capsule that explains the social fragmentation, political polarization and tumultuous mood swing of a pivotal year in American history." Publisher's Weekly thought similarly, noting that "Paterson, [who] writ[es] in an informative, accessible manner, creates a strong narrative, his recitation of facts helping to build his case that 1965—rather than 1968 or 1969—marked a political, cultural, and military turning point for America."
