The Fifties
by David Halberstam
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Book Summary Information
Author: David HalberstamEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1994-05-10
ISBN: 0449909336
Number of pages: 816
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Reviews of The Fifties
Book Review: The panoramic view...
Summary: 5 Stars
A magnificent synthesis of the political, economic and popular history of a decade in which America assumed the mantle of a global power. Halberstam says in his preface that it may have been the black and white still photos that documented the decade in contrast to the video, and color that was to follow that lead many to remember it as a decade of post-war tranquility. But his vignettes of the varying facets of life over this period belie that conclusion. For those that lived through the decade Halberstam's book is a wonderful recap of events, some intensely remembered, some partially, and some completely forgotten. And for those who didn't, whose perceptions border on it being a "distant mirror," that is as old as the 14th Century, it too is deeply rewarding since certain events and attitudes so closely mirror events today.
In the political sphere, on the domestic front, America moves out "from under the shadow of FDR" with Truman's victory over Dewey in '48. There were several domestic currents throughout the decade, from the use of "fear" to govern, as exemplified by the communist witch hunts of Senator Joe McCarthy as well as the "files" kept by the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover on the politicians of the era. More positively, this was the decade that commenced the resolution of America's Dilemma, to use Gunnar Myrdal's phrase, the rise of the Civil Right's movement, starting with the Supreme Court "Brown vs. the Board of Education" decision. Halberstam covers the murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott, Martin Luther King, and President Eisenhower's use of troops in the Little Rock High School desegregation effort in 1957. Many people were introduced to the political process via the first televised congressional hearings, lead by Estes Kefauver.
In the international sphere, the decade commenced with the Korean War, a subject that Halberstam has recently explored in far greater detail in his "The Coldest Winter." There is the development of the H-bomb, and the belief among the American political class that the Russians were still years away from obtaining it. Particularly relevant today, and worth the purchase of the book, are the chapters on the overthrown of the democratically elected government of Iran by the CIA, lead by the "Quiet American" himself, Kermit Roosevelt. (the expression was coined by Kim Philby, son of Abdul Aziz Al Saud's confidant - Harry St. John Philby). The following year the democratically elected government in Guatemala was likewise overthrown by the CIA. Halberstam stresses the complicity of silence by the media in the coup. Meanwhile, in Indochina, the French play out their denouement, and America's role commences. Later chapters cover the "space race" with the Russians, as well as the revolution in Cuba, bringing Castro to power.
In the economic sphere, he has several chapters devoted to the initiation of developments that remains in place, by in large, today. There was the change in retailing, as lead by the Korvettes store, and the rise of the suburban mall. The "fast-food" restaurant was started, as exemplified by McDonald's and managed by Ray Kroc. The first "chains" in the lodging industry were created, by Kemmon Wilson, of Holiday Inn. The modern advertising agency was created by David Ogilvy. Particularly in light of today's developments, Halberstam clarified the famous misquote about "What is good for General Motors is good for the nation," and covered what was the consolidation of America's "essential" industry.
In the popular culture category, few "touchstones" were overlooked. There were the plays of Tennessee Williams where Marlon Brando rose to fame. Literature took a "beat" turn, lead by Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac. The initial phase of the "sexual revolution" commenced, led by Alfred Kinsey's Report, as well as the advocates of birth control, Mary Sanger and Katherine McCormick. In the music field Halberstam describes the rise of BB King, Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis; on TV it was the Ed Sullivan show, James Dean, Ozzie & Harriet. Intellectuals who are all too relevant today are described: C. Wright Mills and David Riesman. In more popular books, it was the era of "Peyton Place" and "The Feminine Mystique" which depicted the dissatisfactions of suburban wives. The improbable relationship of Marilyn Monroe with both Arthur Miller and Joe Dimaggio is also covered.
Overall, a remarkable tour de force by someone who lived through the decade, and has placed it in perspective for the rest of us. Halberstam's style is authoritative, and lively, and I've not understood the grousing of some of the other reviewers. Consider some of the quotes which summarize a person or an event: When Eisenhower was asked by a woman if he had met MacArthur, he responded: "Not only have I met him, Ma'am; I studied dramatics under him for five years in Washington and for four years in the Philippines." Concerning his competitors, there is the vintage "Krocism" from the founder of McDonald's: "If they were drowning to death, I'd put the hose in their mouth." And for those who see a "distant mirror" of today's events in the 50's, consider: "Administration officials had few moral qualms either about their role or about deceiving the American press and people. They saw themselves in an apocalyptic struggle with Communism in which normal rules of fair play did not apply." (p 371). "Because the enemy was cruel and totalitarian, we were justified in responding in kind. Our survival demanded it. There were no restraints on the other side; therefore there should be no restraints on us." (p 372). Finally, a vital quote from Eisenhower himself: "You begin to see this thing isn't wholly the defense of this country, but only more money for some who are already fatcats."
A wonderful, well-written encyclopedic effort. The Fifties is an essential read, not only to learn about that vital decade, but to see a reflection of our current dilemmas, for as Faulkner said: "The past is not dead, it is not even the past."
Summary of The Fifties
The Fifties is a sweeping social, political, economic, and cultural history of the ten years that Halberstam regards as seminal in determining what our nation is today. Halberstam offers portraits of not only the titans of the age: Eisenhower Dulles, Oppenheimer, MacArthur, Hoover, and Nixon, but also of Harley Earl, who put fins on cars; Dick and Mac McDonald and Ray Kroc, who mass-produced the American hamburger; Kemmons Wilson, who placed his Holiday Inns along the nation's roadsides; U-2 pilot Gary Francis Powers; Grace Metalious, who wrote Peyton Place; and "Goody" Pincus, who led the team that invented the Pill.A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"In retrospect," writes David Halberstam, "the pace of the fifties seemed slower, almost languid. Social ferment, however, was beginning just beneath this placid surface." He shows how the United States began to emerge from the long shadow of FDR's 12-year presidency, with the military-industrial complex and the Beat movement simultaneously growing strong. Television brought not only situation comedies but controversial congressional hearings into millions of living rooms. While Alfred Kinsey was studying people's sex lives, Gregory Pincus and other researchers began work on a pill that would forever alter the course of American reproductive practices. Halberstam takes on these social upheavals and more, charting a course that is as easy to navigate as it is wide-ranging.
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