In 1972, a group of teens and twentysomethings from Clearwater, FL, traveled to the mountains of North Carolina to see the Rolling Stones in concert. Anticipating a laid-back camping experience, the group settled down for the night in the Briar Bottom campground. A local sheriff and his crew arrived, purportedly intending to disrupt a “hippie gathering” that was reportedly getting out of hand. By the time dawn broke, one man was dead, and no one could agree on what happened or even why. Back then, Silver (emeritus, history, Appalachian State Univ.; coauthor, An Environmental History of the Civil War) was a high schooler who was irked because his parents wouldn’t let him attend the concert. In this book, he takes readers back to that time in the U.S., noting both similarities and differences to the country today. Thoroughly researched with more than 20 pages of citations, this book shines the spotlight on some small-town police interactions with people they perceive as threats to their area’s way of life. VERDICT An intriguing perspective on a lesser-known case. This book proves that history can repeat itself in unexpected ways, and not everyone is eager to revisit the past.