The Proud Decades: America in War and Peace, 1941-1960

by John Patrick Diggins

"Richly instructive. . . . With characteristic cogency and verve John Diggins has painted a memorable portrait of the United States at a triumphant moment in its history."―David M. Kennedy, Stanford University

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American, War, American History

400 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1988

About the author

John Patrick Diggins was a professor of history at the City University of New York Graduate Center, the author of more than a dozen books on widely varied subjects in American intellectual history.

Reviews

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Diggins was a wonderful man and historian. His death from cancer two years ago was a loss in both ways. I must share an irrelevant anecdote. Since I was doing an American Studies Certificate, I could take classes in other fields, where relevant, even though I was in the English program. Because I took a class with him, and because the office where I worked as a research assistant was next to his, I got to know him. He encouraged me to write a paper on history & theory for his class basically because he wanted to learn more about it. That was how he was. Always curious and always open minded. He liked my paper and encouraged me to try to publish it. Of course, I went and sent it to a very prestigious history journal. When I brought him the inevitable rejection letter, he sat me down in a chair across from him while he read it through. He read it through and then looked up, eyebrows raised in the puckish way he had, and said “that is a very good rejection.” When I just stared at him, he repeated it very seriously, “no, really, that is a very good rejection.” I still feel good about that rejection letter thanks to him!

To the book—it is a very good basic survey. Much of it was stuff I already knew but it is a perfect book for an introduction to the period. It also reflects what I already knew about him—he judged events and people without clinging to any particular ideology. He was open- and fair-minded. I certainly didn’t always agree with him but he had the courage of his convictions. He probably ended up displeasing people up and down the spectrum of political beliefs. I remember in class when someone asked a question, he would put his hand on his chin and stare up at the ceiling while he thought. He took student questions seriously and he never rushed to an answer without thinking about it first.

[Wisteria Leigh]

2008-Spring,American history,non-fiction,TAH,Golden Age,World War II,1941-1960,War and Peace