Book Cover - 1969What do Woody Allen, The Godfather and the Zodiac Killer have in common? While there are probably a few odd answers to that question, the one I’m going for is that they were all non-trivial parts of the cultural watershed year of 1969. A book, written by Rob Kirkpatrick, entitled “1969 – The Year Everything Changed” explores this premise and examines the year’s numerous significant events in detail. Originally published in 2009, the publisher recently released the book in paperback. A review of “1969” can be found here.

Not having read the book, I cannot comment on the attention that Rob Kirkpatrick pays to the subject of the Zodiac Killer, although the size of the phrase “THE ZODIAC KILLER” on the cover (lower left) suggests: probably not too much. The review has a slightly imprecise statement, saying that the Zodiac killer “started” in Vallejo in 1969 when, in fact, the killer started murdering – under the persona of the Zodiac – in December of 1968; the killer’s letter writing campaign started in the summer of 1969.

Anybody read this book? Please share your thoughts.