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The 1950s' Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Rock & Roll Rebels, Cold War Crises, and All American Oddities
Journey back fifty years to explore the decade of baby boomers, the Red scare, and the birth of rock and roll with Robert Rodriguez’s The 1950s’ Most The Top 10 Book of Rock & Roll Rebels, Cold War Crises, and All-American Oddities . America was revving its engines when the fifties came along, and its citizens more than ready for everything the historic decade had to offer. Rodriguez takes you on a spin down memory lane with dozens of top-ten lists filled with amazing, amusing, and even astonishing trivia from the 1950s. Television exploded into the mainstream in the 1950s, and in this book you’ll find kids’ television, shows that were immensely popular then but forgotten now, and potential series that never got off the ground. Film and music history are also well represented, with lists highlighting the fathers of rock and roll and some unlikely recording artists, plus catchphrases from contemporary films and first roles of future stars. Relive the most notorious crimes of the decade, such as the one that inspired the TV show and film The Fugitive, and its big scandals, such as the quiz show debacle and the deportation of Charlie Chaplin. You’ll read about politicians, celebrities, fashion, toys, fads, and disasters. Relearn the hip slang of the time while finding out which tales from the fifties were really tall tales or urban legends that are now debunked. Rodriguez gives you a whole decade’s worth of fun, facts, and all-important memories. It may have been half a century ago, but with The 1950s’ Most Wanted™ , it’ll seem like just yesterday.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 17, 2005
4 people want to read
About the author
Robert A. Rodriguez
1 bookPop culture historian Robert Rodriguez has written or contributed to nine books. His newest, Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years 1970-1980 will be published in March 2010. His most recent, Fab Four FAQ, has been published to critical and fan acclaim. Be sure to check out the new website www.fabfourfaq2.com."
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 5, 2016
The author clearly knows the material. He also goes to considerable lengths to make it interesting. He includes the sordid details - the grizzly, the scandalous, and the humorous. In some cases he even tries to show context. However, that is not always the case. In many cases it is a boring recitation of long-forgotten musicians and actors. The book focuses on culture, rather than the era. Consequently, there is next-to-nothing about the Cold War or political discussion.
Rodriguez is not so much oblivious to society at large. However, I did not expect to pick up the book and read about ten toys that defined the era, or a seemingly endless list of musicians and music. The early chapters of the book were dull because it was culture with minimal context. The book became more exciting when discussing criminals, persecution in Hollywood, and some political events. However, these few instances revealed the author's strong leftist bias. For example, he listed the the Hollywood traitors who aided the House Committee on Un-American Activities; but he never went over the victims. He took delight in lampooning Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, so his bias tarnishes an otherwise seemingly neutral book.
For fans of culture, this is a good resource. It is more of a reference book than something to read casually. The cursory nature of the material means there is a lot that is seemingly left out (Cold War). The only politics attacks the GOP. Finally, Rodriguez has a fascination with the odd and weird - movies that were bizarre, forbidden romances, anecdotal last words, etc. He does have some memorable one-liners, such as "Marilyn Monroe was known for dispensing sexual favors the way most people write thank you notes." These keep the reader's attention.
Overall, I was disappointed by the cursory treatment of the subject. I wanted more analysis and discussion and less brevity. The book is well organized and cleverly written; but it can be a bit misleading.
Rodriguez is not so much oblivious to society at large. However, I did not expect to pick up the book and read about ten toys that defined the era, or a seemingly endless list of musicians and music. The early chapters of the book were dull because it was culture with minimal context. The book became more exciting when discussing criminals, persecution in Hollywood, and some political events. However, these few instances revealed the author's strong leftist bias. For example, he listed the the Hollywood traitors who aided the House Committee on Un-American Activities; but he never went over the victims. He took delight in lampooning Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, so his bias tarnishes an otherwise seemingly neutral book.
For fans of culture, this is a good resource. It is more of a reference book than something to read casually. The cursory nature of the material means there is a lot that is seemingly left out (Cold War). The only politics attacks the GOP. Finally, Rodriguez has a fascination with the odd and weird - movies that were bizarre, forbidden romances, anecdotal last words, etc. He does have some memorable one-liners, such as "Marilyn Monroe was known for dispensing sexual favors the way most people write thank you notes." These keep the reader's attention.
Overall, I was disappointed by the cursory treatment of the subject. I wanted more analysis and discussion and less brevity. The book is well organized and cleverly written; but it can be a bit misleading.
Displaying 1 of 1 review