The Fifties

Truman. Ike. McCarthy. Elvis. Marilyn. MLK. Brown v. Board. McDonald's.

David Halberstam takes all the touchpoints of that most-famous decade and weaves them together in a narrative that explores how technology upended so much of American life, how the consumer culture was born, the first mega-stars created, and so many truths sugar coated.  

Indeed, The Fifties is a heroic work, for its breadth, if not its depth. Some chapters - such as those on the evolution of sports and the creation of the first mega corporations (the aforementioned McDonald's, along with Holiday Inn and the now-defunct E. J. Korvette) - left me wanting more. Others, particularly on literature and the Soviet menace, saw me skimming.

Taken together, though, this is a very well-done book that provides the reader with a true sense of the zeitgeist. Volumes have been written about any one of the individuals and events Halberstam includes. Halberstam does not give the impression that The Fifties is intended as the authoritative text on any one event, but rather that the book provides background and context for the decade and how, taken together, the events of the decade shaped all that came after. (Not least the entire generation that came of age during this time.)

Well-research, well-constructed, and well-written, The Fifties is still a bit of a slog. Let's face it: 700 pages on a very narrow period in American history can't help but verge into textbook territory. Ultimately, Halberstam's work is probably best left to history enthusiasts.