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The Fifties

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The Fifties

By: David Halberstam
Narrated by: Robertson Dean
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About this listen

 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. Halberstam offers portraits of not only the titans of the age: Eisenhower Dulles, Oppenheimer, MacArthur, Hoover, and Nixon, but also of Harley Earl, who put fins on cars; Dick and Mac McDonald and Ray Kroc, who mass-produced the American hamburger; Kemmons Wilson, who placed his Holiday Inns along the nation's roadsides; U-2 pilot Gary Francis Powers; Grace Metalious, who wrote Peyton Place; and "Goody" Pincus, who led the team that invented the Pill.

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Americas Social Sciences United States Socialism Aviation Dwight Eisenhower Imperialism Capitalism Popular Science

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All stars
Most relevant
This is a long book but absolutely brilliant. It shows how America ruled the world in the 50s economically, militarily and culturally and laid the foundations for the coming years. A whole host of characters good and bad from the the worlds of politics, TV, radio, sport and food. I loved it and you will be well rewarded regarding this under appreciated decade in America.

America's Decade

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