RobKirkpatrick.com

Valleys of Neptune, an album of a dozen previously unreleased studio tracks from Jimi Hendrix, is set for release in March from Sony/Legacy. Here’s Edna Gundersen’s piece for USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2010-01-11-jimialbum11_ST_N.htm?csp=34

I spoke to Gundersen in October 2008 for an article she did on Mark Oliver Everett’s memoir, Things the Grandchildren Should Know, which I published at my day job:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2008-10-20-mark-everett_N.htm

This summer’s B&N promotion was quite successful for 1969: The Year Everything Changed, and BookScan numbers are closing in on the goal I’d set for the book.  It’s not too late to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this wild year!  (Visit the BOOKS page, top right, and click on the direct link to 1969 at your online bookstore of choice.) 

“Kirkpatrick makes a good case that it was a year of ‘landmark achievements, cataclysmic episodes and generation-defining events.” – USA Today

“A riveting look at a pivotal year.” – Booklist

“In this compelling account, Kirkpatrick treats the tumultuous events of 1969 with the skills of a journalist, a historian, a sociologist, and a sportswriter and manages to insert moments of lightness and triviality into his grand tour.” – Library Journal

“A compelling account of the historic year.” – History Channel Magazine Club

“What a year!  [A] fast-paced, readable book.” – Rutgers Magazine

“Kirkpatrick weaves an astonishing tale.” – Sean Lahman, author of The Pro Football Historical Abstract

1969: The Year Everything Changed (Skyhorse, 2009) 

“The subtitle of his new book, 1969: The Year Everything Changed, may sound hyperbolic, but Kirkpatrick makes a good case that it was a year of ‘landmark achievements, cataclysmic episodes and generation-defining events.’”–USA Today

“A riveting look at a pivotal year.”–Booklist

“In this compelling account, Kirkpatrick treats the tumultuous events of 1969 with the skills of a journalist, a historian, a sociologist, and a sportswriter and manages to insert moments of lightness and triviality into his grand tour. He writes as easily about jazz-pop as about the rise of the American Indian Movement. He follows a harrowing chapter about the Manson family and the Zodiac Killer with a breathless report on the Amazin’ Mets.…Nostalgic for some, revelatory for others, this is a worthy addition to the literature of the 1960s.”–Library Journal

“A compelling account of the historic year.” – History Channel Magazine Club

“Kirkpatrick is a gifted writer who takes all of the events of this remarkable year and shapes them into a single, cohesive story….Each of these moments is fascinating, but taken together, Kirkpatrick weaves an astonishing tale. Whether you lived through that tumultuous time or not, you’ll love immersing yourself into this book.” – Sean Lahman,  author of The Pro Football Historical Abstract

Magic in the Night: The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2009)

“Offers a fresh, compelling look at the Boss’s art, his life, even his country.” – Library Media Connection

“Other books have covered the life and works of popular musician Bruce Springsteen, but few offer [this] depth of analysis and critical assessment.” – Midwest Book Review

“Beautifully written.” – David Barker, editor, Continuum’s “33 1/3″ series

“Rob Kirkpatrick’s rich narrative sheds news light on the songs that have become a soundtrack for the American experience.” – Mark K. Updegrove, former publisher of Newsweek and MTV Magazine and author of Baptism by Fire: Eight Presidents Inaugurated During Times of Crisis

Cecil Travis of the Washington Senators: The War-Torn Career of an All-Star Shortstop (Bison, 2009)

“Rob Kirkpatrick has written a warm and compelling biography of one of the best but least appreciated ballplayers in the history of our national pastime. Rob’s book is a beautiful celebration of a beautiful life.” – Timothy M. Gay, author of Tris Speaker: The Rough-and-Tumble Life of a Baseball Legend

“Cecil Travis is one of the best hitters I ever faced. Rob Kirkpatrick’s well-researched biography pays tribute to a player who belongs in the Hall of Fame.” – Bob Feller

“A riveting look at a pivotal year.”–Booklist

“In this compelling account, Kirkpatrick treats the tumultuous events of 1969 with the skills of a journalist, a historian, a sociologist, and a sportswriter and manages to insert moments of lightness and triviality into his grand tour. He writes as easily about jazz-pop as about the rise of the American Indian Movement. He follows a harrowing chapter about the Manson family and the Zodiac Killer with a breathless report on the Amazin’ Mets.  Later he describes the surreal convergence of Game 4 of the World  Series with the National Moratorium Day against the Vietnam War….Nostalgic for some, revelatory for others, this is a worthy addition to the literature of the 1960s.”–Library Journal

“The subtitle of his new book, 1969: The Year Everything Changed, may sound hyperbolic, but Kirkpatrick makes a good case that it was a year of ‘landmark achievements, cataclysmic episodes and generation-defining events.’”–USA Today

“Yet for all of the decade’s landmark moments, the final year–1969–hasn’t received the attention it deserves. Just in time for its fortieth anniversary, the newly released 1969 is a compelling account of the historic year, covering politics, sports, civil rights, technology, and more. Written by Rob Kirkpatrick, 1969 explores the events, creations, and ideas that simultaneously brought the Sixties to a close and set the foundation for our country as it is today.”–History Channel Magazine Club

I was wondering why 1969 suddenly shot up on Amazon’s sales rankings today–I didn’t think my nephew’s YouTube channel had that much pull–but then I saw the great article that ran in USA Today (a day earlier than expected)!  It’s on the front page of the “Life” section and runs over onto page 2 with a picture of yours truly. (Todd Gitlin even took a bit of a shot at me, which I thought was way cool.)  Many thanks to Craig Wilson for his great piece.  You can read the article online at:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2009-01-25-1969-book_N.htm

I even got a kick out of the teaser’s placement on the main “Life” page–just beneath Oprah, above the Coachella festival, and to the right of Kate Winslet…

-Rob