The Fifties by David Halberstam Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Fifties
Book Review: A wonderful one-volume narrative of a critical decade
Summary: 5 Stars
Mr. Halberstam delievers a wonderful one-volume account of a decade which introduces many of the arenas of which Americans dealt with from the 1960's to the present and will deal with into the 21st century. His chapter on the mistakes of the American automobile industry during this decade gives us a valuable insight into why the "Big 3" suffered during the 1980s and are still fighting for turf. His book nicely explains how the political and socio-economic cultures were set-up during the post-World World II era. I highly recommend this book for someone who is interested in a good read with decent depth on this decadeBook Review: An Encyclopedic Look at the Fifties
Summary: 5 Stars
Have you always thought that the Fifties were merely a quiescent interlude between World War II and the Sixties? Think again. In this sweeping look at the decade, David Halberstam examines the trends and events that made the Fifties a very interesting and eventful time.
The book opens with a look at what was going on in the country in the late Forties, in the years just after World War II. The late Franklin D. Roosevelt still cast a long shadow over America and its politics, and this enabled Harry Truman to win election in his own right in 1948 and left the Republicans wondering if they would ever regain the White House. There was also apprehension about Communist moles in the government. On the world stage, the Cold War was deepening: Europe was divided by the Iron Curtain, the Soviets got their first atomic bomb in 1949, and that same year China fell to the Communists.
This tense world situation made Truman determined to stop the advance of Communism by intervening in Korea. The U.S. fought the Korean War for three years to a stalemate, and Eisenhower managed to obtain an armistice six months after he became the first Republican president in 20 years.
Halberstam takes a thorough look at many of the developments (and their consequences) of the nascent suburban and mass culture: greater reliance on automobiles, Levittowns, increasing affluence, conformity and individuality, television, restaurants such as McDonald's, motels such as Holiday Inn, the decline of thrift (and increased purchasing on credit), the greater importance of sports in society, rock and roll music, and the birth control pill.
Civil rights was a recurring theme during the decade, especially after 1954. Brown v. Board of Education was decided by the Supreme Court, Emmett Till was murdered, Rosa Parks made her stand, Martin Luther King became one of the leaders of the civil rights movement, and Central High School in Little Rock was integrated.
The Cold War became even more tense at the end of the Fifties, with the launch of Sputnik and the space race that followed it, the establishing of a Communist beachhead in Cuba, and the capture of a U.S. pilot who was flying a U-2 spy plane over the Soviet Union.
Yes, as other reviews have noted, the book is written from a liberal perspective, but if you can filter out the bias, there is much to be learned from this comprehensive look at a decade that gave us much of what we take for granted today.
Book Review: An Inspiring Look at the Best and Worst of a Special Time
Summary: 4 Stars
In "The Fifties", David Halberstam covers a huge range of political, historical and cultural events that defined this pivotal decade. The Korean War, the development of the H-Bomb, the rise of Castro and Kruschev, the violent reactions to the end of racism in America, the fiasco of the U-2 spy plane over Russia is explained and analyzed alongside the rise of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Nixon, Television, Levittown, MacDonald's, Holiday Inn, and even the great game show fraud on "Twenty One". The events are integrated with a thorough look into the biographies of the people at the center of the events. An element of hindsight in such a recent historical era may incline biases; but they are largely absent. There is no underlying theme carrying through the narrations; just a look at some of the amazing developments. Halberstam writes with genuine interest and leaves us with a picture that is a joy and a real education. He is masterful covering such a range of events yet is able to include significant detail of the people and the events, giving you a perspective absent the social or media biases of the era.Book Review: An Interesting Look at the 50's
Summary: 5 Stars
I always considered the 1950's one of the more boring periods in our history, but I read the book because I'll read anything David Halberstam writes. He entertained me with the stories in this book and proved me wrong in my assumption that it was a boring decade. There was quite a bit going on in this country during the decade, from the explosion of TV and Rock & Roll, to the Korean War. The baby boom was going strong and new businesses like McDonalds and Holiday Inn were spreading all over the country. Halberstam fills us in on all this and a lot more.
I love his writing style and he always does a great job of researching the topic. This book was a pleasant surprise.
Book Review: An engrossing overview of an anything-but quiet decade.
Summary: 4 Stars
David Halberstam has provided the reading public with a highly readable and informative narrative of a decade that both chronologically and curturally gave birth to the last half of the 20th century. The author packs each self-contained chapter with wonderful vignettes,facts,fascinating observations, and biographical sketches that bring his subjects to life. My one disappointment in this book was the author's curious overlooking of the religious landscape of the 50's. One would have thought that figures such as Billy Graham, Fulton Sheen, Norman Vicent Peale, Popes Pius XII and John XXIII, the events leading up to and the calling of the Second Vatican Council as well as the explosive growth of church and synagogue attendance would have warranted a chapter in this otherwise engrossing book.