Book: “Kent State: An American Tragedy” by Brian VanDeMark
Posted By RichC on July 2, 2025
A Kindle book on hold at the library arrived just as I finished the last book (checked out twice), so the timing for a summer read was perfect. Likely I’ll be slow in reading “Kent State: An American Tragedy” published in 2024 and written by Brian VanDeMark, but I will do my best.
First off I was impressed with the immediate political balance. Meaning that I expected a left leaning slant to the tragedy that rushed to defend the protesters and throw all the blame on the conservatives who attempted to tamp down the unrest in cities and college campuses in the late 1960s and early 70s. VanDeMark didn’t start this way, but instead covered the protest and ensuing violence that lead to harsher and harsher police and eventual National Guard responses.
I’m still early on in the book, so there will be plenty of time to analyze the heavy handed tactics Ohio governor Jim Rhodes was using quell the unrest in Ohio at the time.
I’m unsure if the author’s intent was to use quotes and references from the day that all to closely mimic what we are seeing today on college campuses and protests in our cities across the country, but it sure makes me think about it (I’m likely to write more about that later).
After posting this, I also listened to an excellent Leaders and Legends podcast interview with the author Brian VanDeMark and wanted to include the direct link above and audio below due to too many broken links over the years.
Leaders and Legends with Brian VanDemark | 8/19/2024
Aside Memories:
Besides growing up and living in Ohio and knowing this tragedy hit close to home (and my age nearing the “Vietnam War” draft), I also have a personal interest in Kent State University. 
I took my final requirement classes for my masters degree at Kent in 1982 and since Brenda and I were semi-struggling newlyweds who settled in Aurora, Ohio (just north of Kent), we often found ourselves going to Kent in our early twenties. We would go to the 
to the nearby Red Barn restaurant, where we could get a full meal for $1.99 and then go to Kent for one dollar movie night. Even after we had children and were living a few miles closer in Hudson, we still regularly found ourselves going to Kent (usually for Ponderosa). Katelyn even started her figure skating in Kent. Who knew that after moving to Cincinnati that she would find herself back at Kent State in the NEOUCOM program and “teaching” skating for spending money while in college It’s also where she met her future husband, Drew. So thankful for a COUPLE of reasons! 😉
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