This work investigates the chaotic political landscape of 1968 to determine how the convergence of social unrest, assassination, and shifting party ideologies fundamentally altered the trajectory of the American presidency. The authors, a team of British journalists, utilize a rigorous investigative framework to document the internal mechanics of the campaigns of Richard Nixon, Hubert Humphrey, and George Wallace. By synthesizing primary source interviews and on-the-ground reporting, the text argues that the 1968 election served as a definitive breaking point for the post-war political consensus.

Historians and political scientists frequently cite this book as a definitive, high-density account of the 1968 election cycle. Experts highlight the authors' unique perspective as foreign observers, which provides a detached and analytical view of the American political machinery.