The book backs up a bit into the late 1940s to get a handle on the politics of the fifties. Halberstam was killed in a car crash in 2007, while doing research for a book. What he spends most of his time doing is presenting the 50s as a series of minibiographies a sort of dictionary of national biography for the decade. Recommended for anyone interested in history and especially for those capable of connecting the dots from the 50s to the 60s, to the 70s and beyond. The book is not about the decade on a global scale, but merely the fifties in america. The fifties were a defining decade for america, complete with sweeping cultural change and political upheaval. David halberstam was a journalist who died in a car accident in 2007 at the age of 73. With edward herrmann, david halberstam, john chancellor, jack anderson.
David halberstam april 10, 1934 april 23, 2007 was an american writer, journalist, and historian, known for his work on the vietnam war, politics, history, the civil rights movement, business, media, american culture, and later, sports journalism. Nearly everything in this book either signals or symbolizes a. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Halberstam feels that franklin roosevelt was still influencing events some time after his demise. The fifties is a sweeping social, political, economic, and cultural history of the ten years that david halberstam regards as seminal in determining what our. David halberstam, born april 10, 1934, new york, new york, u. Apr 19, 2020 david halberstam, born april 10, 1934, new york, new york, u. David halberstams book was immensely fascinating, organized beautifully, and i was captivated the entire time. Some of the things that people believe about it are true, but by no means all. They were almost one of the first attempts of television to go to casting in everything you shot the idea that television, everything it did, had to be cast and they were part of the great quiz show scandal.
Rather than using a straightforward linear narrative, halberstam separately profiles many of the notable trends and people of the postworld war ii era, starting with harry s. Pulitzer prizewinning journalist halberstam the fifties, 1993, etc. Halberstams latest book, the fifties, is no less in scope. He talked about the social climate of the 1950s including the effects of the spread of television across the country, the introduction of situational comedies, the birth control pill, senator joseph.
He won a pulitzer prize for international reporting in 1964. Trumans stunning presidential victory in 1948 against thomas e. See all books authored by david halberstam, including the coldest winter. Published in 1993 by villard books, book and mylar protected dust jacket are fine. He went on to become the bestselling author of more than 20 meticulously researched books. Halberstams premise is that vast changes had occurred in american society in the 15 years that. Available is a signed 1st ed2nd prtg, w complete numberline 98765432 but lacking first edition statement, of the fifties by the late david halberstam. He won the pulitzer prize in journalism for his coverage of the vietnam war, and his book the best and the brightest is considered by many one of the best books on the politicians, military men, and events of. The fifties by david halberstam is a historical exploration of the 1950s, a decade full of change and promise while being overshadowed by the threat of the cold war. David halberstam was a pulitzer prizewinning journalist and the author of numerous books, including the best and the brightest, the powers that be, the. It was published by ballantine books and has a total of 816 pages in the book.
David halberstam, a pulitzer prizewinning journalist, has chronicled the social, political, and athletic life of america in such bestselling books as the fifties, the best and the brightest, and the amateurs. Eisenhower, dulles, oppenheimer, macarthur, hoover, and nixon. The children is david halberstam s brilliant and moving evocation of the early days of the civil rights movement, as seen through the story of the young people the childrenwho met in the 1960s and went on to lead the revolution. The fifties is a sweeping social, political, economic, and cultural history of the ten years that david halberstam regards as seminal in determining what our nation is today. Halberstam, including titles like the fundamentals of sports media and sponsorship sales. The title of this book is the fifties and it was written by david halberstam. David halberstam april 10, 1934 april 23, 2007 was an american journalist and historian, known for his work on the vietnam war, politics, history, the civil rights movement, business, media, american culture, and later, sports journalism. A maxim that underscored journalist david halberstams work ethic was that being a professional meant doing the work one loved on the days one didnt feel like doing it. America and the korean war, and the best and the brightest, and more on. Buy a cheap copy of the fifties book by david halberstam. The fifties is a sweeping social, political, economic, and cultural history of the 10 years that halberstam regards as seminal in determining what our nation is today. The best and the brightest audiobook by david halberstam. Ideologically speaking, the years that david halberstam brings to life in the. An in depth documentary of all aspects of life in the 1950s.
Halberstam not only gives us the titans of the age eisenhower, dulles, oppenheimer. Eisenhower dulles, oppenheimer, macarthur, hoover, and nixon, but also of harley earl, who put fins on cars. Pulitzer prizes omitted in drama, fiction, music may 5, 1964 halberstam won the pulitzer prize for journalism for his coverage of the vietnam conflict for the new york times. He is best known for both his courageous coverage of the vietnam war for the new york times, as well as for his twentyone nonfiction bookswhich cover a wide array of topics, from the plight of detroit and the auto industry to the captivating origins of baseballs fiercest rivalry. Halberstam, author of the best and the brightest, discussed the research behind his latest book, the fifties, published by fawcett books. David halberstam was a pulitzer prizewinning journalist and the author of numerous books, including the best and the brightest, the powers that be, the reckoning, summer of 49, playing for keeps, and war in a time of peace. David halberstam books list of books by author david. 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. David halberstams most popular book is the breaks of the game. Halberstam offers portraits of not only the titans of the age. The fifties by david halberstam carter wrenn posted on december, 2016 a book about the 1950s sounds like a bland and vanilla story but it turns out david halberstam had two stories to tell and one wasnt about the 50s. This decade is also the focus of david halberstams triumphant the fifties, which stands as an enduring classic and was an instant new york times bestseller upon its publication.
Rather than using a straightforward linear narrative, halberstam separately profiles many of the notable trends and people of the post world war ii era, starting with harry s. After halberstam s death, the book project was taken over by frank gifford, who played for the losing new york giants in the 1958 game, and was titled the glory game, published by harpercollins in october 2008 with an introduction dedicated to david halberstam. It was fun to read david halberstams book the fifties, and it brought back a flood of memories. Changing topics with each chapter makes the book less intimidating than the 800 page size implies. He is best known for both his courageous coverage of the vietnam war for the new york times, as well as for his twentyone nonfiction bookswhich cover a wide. Halberstam writes of the decade in a clear, fastmoving prose, and despite the books enormous bulk, is actually a remarkably fast read. David halberstam, who died in a car accident on april 23rd, at the age of seventythree, was a product of the cold war, a selfdescribed square from the fifties who went off to cover the. Eisenhower, dulles, oppenheimer, macarthur, hoover, and nixon, but also of harley earl, who put.
That october found the yankees going headtohead with the st. Eisenhower dulles, oppenheimer, macarthur, hoover, and nixon, but also of harley earl. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Halberstam offers no explicit themes or theses, but if there is an overarching implicit theme, it is the fifties not as a. More than a survey of the decade, it is a masterfully woven examination of farreaching change, from the unexpected popularity of holiday inn to the marketing savvy. Feb 04, 2014 1997 history channel documentary based on david halberstam s book. Book overview 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. David halberstam, an avid sports writer with an investigative reporters tenacity, superbly details the end of the 15year reign of the new york yankees in october 1964. The fifties is a sweeping social, political, economic, and cultural hi. The fifties by david halberstam, 9780449909331, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The children is david halberstams brilliant and moving evocation of the early days of the civil rights movement, as seen through the story of the young peoplethe childrenwho met in the 1960s and went on to lead the revolution.
At 800 pages, its a massive, thoroughly researched, incredibly detailed account of american postwar political, consumer, and popular culture. David halberstam books list of books by author david halberstam. The fifties 1993 is a history book by david halberstam centered on the decade of the 1950s in the united states. One of the most popular and imitated nonfiction writers around, david halberstam wrote books that fused narrative storytelling with investigative reporting. He won the pulitzer prize in journalism for his coverage of the vietnam war, and his book the best and the brightest is considered by many one of the best books on the politicians, military men, and events of the vietnam war. David halberstam 19342007 was a pulitzer prizewinning journalist and bestselling author. In retrospect, writes david halberstam, the pace of the fifties seemed slower, almost languid. It is the decade of joe mccarthy and the young martin luther king, the korean war and levittown, jack kerouac and elvis presley.
David halberstam has 69 books on goodreads with 144167 ratings. The 1950s is a seminal decade in the history of our nation. June 1, 1993 in the best and the brightest, the powers that be, and the reckoning, halberstam proved that he can master intimidating subjects with aplomband in this massive tome on a convulsive decade in american life, he meets with equal success. Halberstam s latest book, the fifties, is no less in scope. David halberstams amazing 1993 book the fifties was written to be a comprehensive documentnot of a single decade, but of an american epoch that began with the atomic bomb dropping on hiroshima and ended with john f. 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. The riveting story of how two very different baseball teams, reflective of the times in america, got to the 1964 world series. Possible clean exlibrary copy, with their stickers and or stamps. A massive cultural history of the decade, it seeks to trace the roots of our current national psyche and explain how we have become what.
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