The Fifties: The Way We Really Were

by Douglas T. Miller, Marion Nowak

Genres: History, Nonfiction

444 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1977

Reviews

[Glenn Gravlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an exceptionally well-referenced work on the 1950s that generally criticizes what the authors saw as unreasonable conformity, complacency, and denial substantially among middle- and upper-class whites. Fair enough, but they go so far as to virtually blame Truman for McCarthyism. At that moment I said, "Whoa!" to myself (as no one else was present or would have cared). Harry clearly disliked McCarthy's antics.
Nevertheless, the coverage is scholarly and thought-provoking. It's written in the style of a series of review articles on different aspects of the fifties such as religion, Communism, music, TV, etc., so one can pick and choose by topic rather than read it straight through.
I thought that David Halberstam's book, The Fifties, was more enjoyable. His book was less comprehensive, but dove deeply and adeptly into a number of fascinating stories about people of the fifties.

[Catnaitab · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative book about every facet of fifties society, in it Miller and Nowak write with a critical gaze but also a light-hearted style. There are plenty of fascinating facts, but also funny details about this time period, absurd stories that in today's eyes feel ridiculous, such as the appearance of nuclear information leaflets saying that as long as one covers oneself underneath a desk, that one can leave a nuclear attack unscathed (in fact a lot of the stuff people said regarding nuclear attacks during this period is insane, such as is some of the things written about women and something as silly as rock and roll that was supposed to be corrupting every teenager - just a lot of conservative poppycock). The book also has a few images dotted here and there that are connected to the book as a whole though not to any area in particular. 'The Fifties' has predominantly a leftist view, criticising fifties society for its consensus, consumerism and traditional mindset; its still prevalent racism and sexism, (commenting also on the start of the civil rights movements that would peak in the sixties); its anxieties around the bomb, the Red Scare, adolescent rebellion and other factors.
The fifties is such an interesting period: a timeframe that is regularly looked back at with nostalgia, even though it was saturated in anxiety and even though it was one of the most conservative periods in recent history. The writing is great, easy to follow and enjoyable. The book is well structured, divided into specific chapters, such as chapters on McCarthyism, religion, people's capitalism, the 'happy home corporation' (family), Hollywood, TV and the way intellectuals were viewed by conservatives. The book goes into a lot of detail, presenting at times examples from fifties media and statistics. It is also fascinating how this book was published in the late 70s, but still has so much critique that is extremely relevant today. Miller and Nowak's opinions still feel modern, which goes to show that even a book from the seventies about the fifties, still has a lot to say about today's society and how our world has not changed as much as one would have thought. I would recommend this book - full of intriguing facts that illuminate not only upon America's past, but its present - to anyone who enjoys history or wants to find out more about the fifties. Such an easy read for essentially a history book that focuses on the actual lives led and not just past events.