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Aug 14, 2009 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

With the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair taking place this August, there has been a rash of books, music, and video released to celebrate the event. The Road to Woodstock is a detailed account of the festival from the man who organized it. It is remarkable how much thought and planning went into the counter-culture event of the century—the military was contacted for support in learning how to create temporary cities, and Lang and his cohorts stood in the bathroom at Yankee Stadium with a clipboard to calculate how many porta-potties would be needed to accommodate the estimated crowds. Of course, nothing seemed to go as planned. But in Lang’s narrative, it all seemed to be part of the excitement. Despite the torrential rain, difficulties with food and water lines, and arguments with some of the musicians’ management—not to mention the million plus dollars the creators found themselves in the hole after the weekend—Woodstock still managed its goal: ultimate peace, love, and happiness for a generation. For those who were there, and those who wish they were, The Road to Woodstock is an essential read. (www.eccobooks.com)

Author rating: 7/10