When "Four Summers" was initially published in 1967, the United States was in turmoil. Not only were American troops fighting the North Vietnamese, but the government was battling antiwar protesters at home. With 429 major and 2,972 minor military bases around the globe, it had set itself up as the world's policeman, often acting covertly to change the political complexion of countries such as the Dominican Republic and Chile. Not only was the Central Intelligence Agency active overseas but President Johnson had also authorized it to conduct surveillance and compile dossiers on protestors at home. The CIA was joined in its efforts by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, run by J. Edgar Hoover, a rabid anticommunist who initiated a wiretapping campaign to discredit civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and directed counterintelligence efforts against government critics. Many of those protesting government involvement in Vietnam belonged to the baby boom...