A Cultural History of the United States Through the Decades - The 1950s
Grade 7 Up-Well illustrated with black-and-white photographs and maps, this offering covers the political, economic, and cultural development of the United States during the 1950s. Kallen paints Cold War political views with a decidedly biased brush. For example, he states "the guilt or innocence of the Rosenbergs...is unproven." Nothing positive is written about J. Edgar Hoover. And while Joseph McCarthy is probably not on anybody's list of heroes, he is the only person Kallen mentions as being from "the wrong side of the tracks." Also, McCarthy's drinking habits are featured in a special sidebar, while the beatniks' use of alcohol and drugs is treated more sympathetically. However, much of Kallen's work positively shines. His descriptions of growing up in the suburbs, the submissive roles adopted by most women, and the conformity demanded by corporate life are very much on target. The explanation of how rock 'n' roll was brought to prominence is especially interesting. The explanation of technological paradoxes is equally good. Kallen's introduction is particularly appropriate, and he provides beautiful transitions, nicely unifying the whole. For fans of this decade, Patricia Baker's Fashions of a Decade: The 1950s (Facts On File, 1991) provides large, colorful illustrations and much historical and cultural information. While dauntingly thick and written primarily for adults, David Halberstam's The Fifties (Villard, 1993) would be a good resource for those who want to know more.Cindy Darling Codell, Clark Middle School, Winchester, KYCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.