The Age of Doubt: American Thought and Culture in the 1940s
YA-- Both of these books are rich with telling detail and thoroughness, and consider the influences of literature, government, religion, and science on the given period. Graebner makes the 1940s come alive by examining the impact of the changing role of women, the publication of Dr. Spock's books on child care, the production (and messages) of the movies, as well as the debut of television and the impact of artists such as Jackson Pollock and John Cage. Matthews views the War of 1812 as the watershed event of the early 19th century. She describes the campaigns against infidelity and drinking, waged in order to strengthen society, and provides good coverage of the influences of Jeffersonian and Jacksonian thought and how they overlapped. The indexing, while good, does not fully reflect the amazing level of detail in the books.- Barbara Weathers, Duchesne Academy, Houston, TXCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.