America Since 1945
The American Moment

In this essential introduction to postwar America, central currents in art, film, theatre, intellectual history and media are explored alongside political and social change. The new edition has been revised and updated in the light of new scholarship and the last two chapters now cover recent events, including the rise of Obama.

<p>The period from 1945 to the present day may not constitute an American century, but it can be seen as the American Moment: the time when, for good or ill, the United States became the predominant political, military, economic and cultural power in the world. This revised and updated new edition introduces the historic and tumultuous developments in American politics, foreign policy, society and culture during this period. It includes coverage of key recent events, such as the: <br>- 2008 election of Barack Obama <br>- Global recession<br>- war in Iraq and Afghanistan <br>- rise of the internet<br>- transformation of American Society and Culture<br>- changing status of the US in the new millennium <br>Examining the American Moment in a global context, the authors emphasize the interaction between politics, society and culture. "America Since 1945" encourages an awareness of how central currents in art, film, theatre, intellectual history and media have developed alongside an understanding of political, economic and social change.

List of Illustrations and Timelines Acknowledgements Introduction PART I: THE WORLD WAR AND AMERICAN POWER American Politics from Roosevelt to Truman 1940s: The Cultural Legacy of World War Two PART II: THE COLD WAR AND AMERICAN CULTURE American Politics from Truman to Eisenhower Alienation and Affluence in the 1950s PART III: WAR IN VIETNAM AND REVOLUTION IN THE STREETS Kennedy, Johnson and the Crisis of American Liberalism The Imaginative Crisis of the 1960s PART IV: THE AMBIGUOUS LEGACY OF THE SIXTIES American Politics from Nixon to Carter The Clash of Two Countercultures PART V: FROM THE COLD WAR TO GLOBALIZATION American Politics from Reagan to Clinton From the Global Village to Bowling Alone PART VI: AMERICA AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 American Politics in the Twenty-First Century
Hard Facts and Millennial Fictions Index