This vivid New York Times bestseller about 1950s America from a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist is “an engrossing sail across a pivotal decade” (Time). Joe McCarthy. Marilyn Monroe. The H-bomb. Ozzie and Harriet. Elvis. Civil rights. It’s undeniable: The fifties were a defining decade for America, complete with sweeping cultural change and political upheaval. This decade is also the focus of … upheaval. This decade is also the focus of David Halberstam’s triumphant The Fifties, which stands as an enduring classic and was an instant New York Times bestseller upon its publication. More than a survey of the decade, it is a masterfully woven examination of far-reaching change, from the unexpected popularity of Holiday Inn to the marketing savvy behind McDonald’s expansion. A meditation on the staggering influence of image and rhetoric, The Fifties is vintage Halberstam, who was hailed by the Denver Post as “a lively, graceful writer who makes you . . . understand how much of our time was born in those years.” This ebook features an extended biography of David Halberstam.
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Far too informative on subjects of little interest
I grew up in the fifties, so went through some of these things. However, I wasn’t really old enough to understand everything that went on then, so this book filled in a lot of gaps in my personal knowledge. The book does not always have good flow, as the author jumps from topic to topic with each chapter. This is probably to be expected with such …
Terrific writer. For anyone who grew up in the Fifties, this is a must read.
Love this book! I’ve read it several times. You’ll find lots of answers to how we got where we are with this book.
Details a convincing argument that the 50’s weren’t so innocent a time and that many of those processes and ideas begun in that era saw full fruition and expression in the 1960’s . Interesting and compelling read.
Truman. Ike. McCarthy. Elvis. Marilyn. MLK. Brown v. Board. McDonald’s.
David Halberstam takes all the touchpoints of that most-famous decade and weaves them together in a narrative that explores how technology upended so much of American life, how the consumer culture was born, the first mega-stars created, and so many truths sugar coated. …
like all of Halberstam’s books, well researched. put together and informative
Growing up in the 50s I was aware of the events Halberstam chronicles in this book but at the time I was much more interested in girls, cars and sports. Halberstam’s review of the events of that decade help one understand the issues of the time. Some chapters like those on McCarthy and race sound eerily like today’s issues.
great history of the events and the period where the USA took the stage as the worlds first Super Power. Political, military, cultural events all covered with anecdotes and factual documentation of why the fifties is so often thought of as the Golden age of American.
Great review of the 50s, esp. interesting if you were there!
Great look at a pivotal decade.
I lived in those times and learned a lot that I didn’t know.
Fascinating detail of a very interesting part of history.
One of the best non-fiction books I ever read.
Lots of good information.
Reads like well-written fiction. Halberstam’s narrative style is relaxed and continuously insightful without being unnecessarily judgmental.
Too much unneeded detail. Very boring at times. Lengthly. Too political
Loved the detailed discussion of 50’s politics and how they shaped today’s world. I understand now much more how things happened in the 50’s
I was a child in the 50’s and thought it to be a wonderful era. It was interesting to find that the adult world of the 50’s was much less carefree. Understanding the 50’s helped make the 60’s make much more sense.
Outstanding history of the 50’s. Author writes extremely well and to the point.