- Table View
- List View
1948
by Yoram Kaniuk Anthony BerrisSixty years after fighting in Israel's War of Independence, Yoram Kaniuk tries to remember what exactly did--and did not--happen in his time as a teenage soldier in the Palmach. The result is a touchingly poignant and hauntingly beautiful memoir that the author himself considers a work of fiction, for what is memory but one's own story about the past? Eschewing self-righteousness in favor of self-criticism, Kaniuk's book, winner of the 2010 Sapir Prize for Literature, is the tale of a younger man told by his older, wiser self--the self who realizes that wars are pointless, and that he and his friends, young men from good homes forming an offbeat band of brothers, were senseless to see glory in the prospect of dying young. But it is also a painful, shocking, and tragically relevant homage to the importance of bearing witness to the follies of the past, even--or especially--when they are one's own.
1948: A History Of The First Arab-israeli War
by Benny MorrisThis history of the foundational war in the Arab-Israeli conflict is groundbreaking, objective, and deeply revisionist. A riveting account of the military engagements, it also focuses on the war's political dimensions. Benny Morris probes the motives and aims of the protagonists on the basis of newly opened Israeli and Western documentation. The Arab side-where the archives are still closed-is illuminated with the help of intelligence and diplomatic materials. Morris stresses the jihadi character of the two-stage Arab assault on the Jewish community in Palestine. Throughout, he examines the dialectic between the war's military and political developments and highlights the military impetus in the creation of the refugee problem, which was a by-product of the disintegration of Palestinian Arab society. The book thoroughly investigates the role of the Great Powers-Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union-in shaping the conflict and its tentative termination in 1949. Morris looks both at high politics and general staff decision-making processes and at the nitty-gritty of combat in the successive battles that resulted in the emergence of the State of Israel and the humiliation of the Arab world, a humiliation that underlies the continued Arab antagonism toward Israel.
1948: Harry Truman's Improbable Victory and the Year that Transformed America
by David PietruszaThe behind-the-headline true story of Harry Truman's stunning upset! Everyone knows the iconic news photo of jubilant underdog Harry Truman brandishing a copy of the Chicago Tribune proclaiming "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN. " David Pietrusza goes backstage to explain how it happened, placing the brutal political battle in the context of an erupting Cold War and America's exploding storms over civil rights and domestic communism. Pietrusza achieves for 1948's presidential race what he previously did in his acclaimed 1960--LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon: bringing history to life and intrigue readers with tales of high drama while simultaneously presenting the issues, personalities, and controversies of this pivotal era with laser-like clarity.
1948: Harry Truman's Improbable Victory and the Year that Transformed America
by David PietruszaThe wild, combative inside story of the most stunning upset in the history of presidential elections—Harry Truman's victory over Tom Dewey: &“Outstanding.&”—Minneapolis Star-Tribune In this lively account, award-winning historian David Pietrusza unpacks the most ingloriously iconic headline in the history of presidential elections—DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN—to reveal the 1948 campaign's backstage events and recount the down-to-the-wire brawl fought against the background of an erupting Cold War, the Berlin Airlift, the birth of Israel, and a post-war America facing exploding storms over civil rights and domestic communism. &“Coherent, compelling…A skillful, authoritative investigation.&”—Kirkus Reviews &“A terrific book…a must-read.&”—Ron Faucheux, former editor-in-chief, Campaigns & Elections magazine &“Brilliantly portrays President Harry Truman's successful efforts to stave off the challenge of New York Gov. Tom Dewey, who was making a repeat bid as the Republican nominee.&”—David Mark, author of Going Dirty: The Art of Negative Campaigning &“Sweeping…compelling.&”—Library Journal &“Gripping detail.&”—The New York Journal of Books
1948. A Soldier's Tale The Bloody Road to Jerusalem: A Soldier's Tale - The Bloody Road to Jerusalem
by Uri AvneryThe first eye-witness account ever published of the 1948 Israeli War of Independence, this riveting memoir of a young Israeli soldier became an instant bestseller on publication in 1949, and is still recognized as the outstanding book of that war, in the tradition of Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front. First joining the Givati Brigade and later volunteering for "Samson's Foxes", the legendary commando unit, Avnery took part in almost all the major battles on the Jerusalem and southern fronts. Written from the trenches, and from a military hospital bed, he offers an extraordinarily detailed account of the war, of fast-paced battles, and acts of extreme bravery, as well as the camaraderie and off-duty exploits of young men and women thrust into the front line. This is a gripping, sensitive, and at times deeply poignant account of the day-to-day brutalities of one of the most significant wars of our times.
1949 the First Israelis: The First Israelis
by Tom SegevRenowned historian Tom Segev strips away national myths to present a critical and clear-eyed chronicle of the year immediately following Israel’s foundation.“Required reading for all who want to understand the Arab-Israeli conflict…the best analysis…of the problems of trying to integrate so many people from such diverse cultures into one political body” (The New York Times Book Review). Historian and journalist Tom Segev stirred up controversy in Israel upon the first publication of 1949. It was a landmark book that told a different story of the country’s early years, one that wasn’t taught in schools or shown in popular culture. Rather than painting the idealized picture of the Israel’s founding in 1948, after the wreckage of the Holocaust, Segev reveals gritty underside behind the early years. The new country of Israel faced challenges on all sides. Day-to-day life was severe, marked by austerity and food shortages; Israeli society was fractured between traditional and secular camps; Jewish immigrants from Middle-Eastern countries faced discrimination and second-class treatment; and clashes between settlers and the Arabs would set the tone for relations for the following decades, hardening attitudes and creating a violent cycle of retaliation. Drawing on journal entries, letters, declassified government documents, and more, 1949 is a richly detailed look at the friction between the idealism of the Zionist movement and the cold realities of history. Decades after its publication in the United States, Segev’s groundbreaking book is still required reading for anyone who wants to understand Israel’s past and future.
The 1950s: From the Korean War to Elvis (Decades of the 20th Century)
by Stephen FeinsteinThe 1950s. . . What do Dwight David Eisenhower, the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Beatniks, Marilyn Monroe, the suburbs, and Sputnik have in common? Each, in some way, helped define the 1950s, a period of great contrast in American life. The decade that introduced the world to Elvis Presley and DNA was also a time of air-raid drills and a fear of Communist spies.
1950s American Fashion
by Jonathan WalfordThe 1950s was the first decade when American fashion became truly American. The United States had always relied on Europe for its style leads, but during World War II, when necessity became the mother of invention, the country had to find its own way. American designers looked to what American women needed and found new inspirations for American fashion design. Sportswear became a strength, but not at the expense of elegance. Easy wear materials were borrowed for producing more formal clothes, and versatile separates and adaptable dress and jacket suits became hallmarks of American style. This book follows the American fashion industry, from New York's 7th Avenue to the beaches of California in search of the clothes that designed 1950s American fashion.
The 1950s American Home
by Diane BoucherThis title explores what life was like in the 1950s American home. An age of optimism, it is about living the American Dream and how this was achieved, changes in the home, new convenience technology, new ways of living. From Ranch House to American Modernism to affordable homes in the suburbs, this was how to live the good life in an era of unprecedented prosperity and opportunity.From the Trade Paperback edition.
1950s Canada: Politics and Public Affairs
by Nelson WisemanWhile the 1950s in Canada were years of social conformity, it was also a time of political, economic, and technological change. Against a background of growing prosperity, federal and provincial politics became increasingly competitive, intergovernmental relations became more contentious, and Canada’s presence in the world expanded. The life expectancy of Canadians increased as the social pathologies of poverty, crime, and racial, ethnic, and gender discrimination were in retreat. 1950s Canada illuminates the fault lines around which Canadian politics and public affairs have revolved. Chronicling the themes and events of Canadian politics and public affairs during the 1950s, Nelson Wiseman reviews social, economic, and cultural developments during each year of the decade, focusing on developments in federal politics, intergovernmental relations, provincial affairs, and Canada’s role in the world. The book examines Canada’s subordinate relationship first with Britain and then the United States, the interplay between Quebec’s distinct society and the rest of Canada, and the regional tensions between the inner Canada of Ontario and Quebec and the outer Canada of the Atlantic and western provinces. Through this record of major events in the politics of the decade, 1950s Canada sheds light on the rapid altering of the fabric of Canadian life.
A 1950s Childhood: From Tin Baths to Bread and Dripping
by Paul FeeneyDo you remember PathÉ News? Taking the train to the seaside? The purple stains of iodine on the knees of boys in short trousers? Knitted bathing costumes? Then the chances are you were born in or around 1950. To the young people of today, the 1950s seem like another age. But for those born around then, this era of childhood feels like yesterday. This delightful collection of photographic memories will appeal to all who grew up in this post-war decade; they include pictures of children enjoying life out on the streets and bombsites, at home and at school, on holiday and at events. These wonderful period pictures and descriptive captions will bring back this decade of childhood, and jog memories about all aspects of life as it was in post-war Britain.
1950s Childhood
by Janet ShepherdThe generation who grew up in Britain immediately after the Second World War are popularly called 'The Baby Boomers'. As children, they experienced life in Britain from wartime austerity to the relative affluence of the late 1950s. Uniquely healthier and wealthier than previous generations, this first welfare state generation received free orange juice, milk and cod liver oil to safeguard their health. However, their overall diet was restricted until rationing fully ended in 1954 - and the permissive society had yet to arrive. Janet and John Shepherd explore how the Baby Boomers grew up through the change from post-war restrictions to a new consumer society, enjoying increased choice in the shops, while at home, pirate Radio Luxembourg and flickering black and white television opened up new vistas.
A 1950s Holiday in Bognor Regis
by Sylvia Endacott Shirley LewisBognor Regis is situated on the south coast of Britain overlooking the English Channel. After more than two centuries as a seaside resort, the town is still attracting visitors, in no small part due to the clarity of its air. On the 18th of January 1787, the resort's founder, Sir Richard Hotham, laid a foundation stone marking the town as a "public bathing place ", a description that Bognor Regis has continued to earn and enjoy ever since. Throughout the decades seaside holidays have changed to reflect current fashions. Bognor Regis has been no different; rather like the ebb and flow of the tide, visitor numbers have risen, fallen and risen again according to the various fashions of the day. Accessibility by train from London was a major contributor to the number of visitors in the resort's early years. Coaches and Sunday school outings then came into prominence, followed eventually by the arrival of the car. As leisure time and money became more plentiful for all, a Sunday outing was replaced by a week at the seaside, then a fortnight's break. Today many people choose Bognor Regis for a weekend away or a four day mid-week break, spending their main holiday time abroad as is the current fashion. Whatever the reason, the attraction of the sea is still strong and will continue to draw people from the towns and cities to the beaches for a paddle in the sea. Bognor Regis continues to attract visitors to its friendly beaches and by its regular appearance at the top of the National Sunshine League.
A 1950s Housewife: Marriage and Homemaking in the 1950s
by Sheila HardyBeing a housewife in the 1950s was quite a different experience to today. After the independence of the wartime years, women had to leave their jobs when they married and support their husband by creating a spotless home, delicious meals and an inviting bedroom. A 1950s Housewife collects heart-warming personal anecdotes from women who embarked on married life during this fascinating post-war period, providing a trip down memory lane for any wife or child of the 1950s. This book will prove an eye-opener for those who now wish they had listened when their mothers attempted to tell them stories of the ‘old days’, and will provide useful first-hand accounts for those with a love of all things kitsch and vintage. From ingenious cleaning tips, ration-book recipes and home decor inspiration, the homemaking methods of the fifties give an entertaining and poignant insight into the lives of 1950s women.
The 1950s Kitchen
by Kathryn FerryThe 1950s was the first great age of the modern kitchen: labor-saving appliances, bright colors and the novelty of fitted units moved the kitchen from dankness into light, where it became the domain of the happy housewife and the heart of the home. Formica - a new space-age material - decorated with fashionable patterns topped sleek cupboards that contained new classic wares such as Pyrex and 'Homemaker' crockery, and the ingredients for 1950s British staples: semolina, coronation chicken and spotted dick. Electricity entered the kitchens of millions, and nowhere in the home was modern technology and modern design more evident. Bold color, clean lines and stainless steel were keynotes of the decade, and it is no surprise that 1950s kitchen style is now the height of fashion once again, with names like Cath Kidston picking up on the best of '50s kitchen kitsch, and manufacturers like Dualit, Kitchen Aid and Aga doing healthy business with retro appliances. This book - a celebration of cooking, eating and living in the 1950s kitchen - is a feast of nostalgia, and a mine of inspiration for anyone wanting to recreate that '50s look in their own home.From the Trade Paperback edition.
A 1950s Mother: Bringing up Baby in the 1950s
by Sheila HardyEmbarking on motherhood was a very different affair in the 1950s to what it is today. From how to dress baby (matinee coats and bonnets) to how to administer feeds (strictly four-hourly if following the Truby King method), the childrearing methods of the 1950s are a fascinating insight into the lives of women in that decade.In A 1950s Mother, author, mother and grandmother Sheila Hardy collects heart-warming, personal anecdotes from those women who became mothers during this fascinating post-war period. From the benefits of ‘crying it out’ and being put out in the garden to gripe water and Listen with Mother, the wisdom of mothers from the 1950s reverberates down the decades to young mothers of any generation and is a hilarious and, at times, poignant trip down memory lane for any mother or child of the 1950s.
1954: The Year Willie Mays and the First Generation of Black Superstars Changed Major League Baseball Forever
by Bill Madden1954: Perhaps no single baseball season has so profoundly changed the game forever. In that year#151;the same in which the US Supreme Court unanimously ruled, in the case of Brown vs. Board of Education, that segregation of the races be outlawed in America's public schools#151;Larry Doby's Indians won an American League record 111 games, dethroned the five-straight World Series champion Yankees, and went on to play Willie Mays's Giants in the first World Series that featured players of color on both teams. Seven years after Jackie Robinson had broken the baseball color line, 1954 was a triumphant watershed season for black players#151;and, in a larger sense, for baseball and the country as a whole. While Doby was the dominant player in the American League, Mays emerged as the preeminent player in the National League, with a flair and boyish innocence that all fans, black and white, quickly came to embrace. Mays was almost instantly beloved in 1954, much of that due to how seemingly easy it was for him to live up to the effusive buildup from his Giants manager, Leo Durocher, a man more widely known for his ferocious "nice guys finish last" attitude. Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Bill Madden delivers the first major book to fully examine the 1954 baseball season, drawn largely from exclusive recent interviews with the major players themselves, including Mays and Doby as well as New York baseball legends from that era: Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford of the Yankees, Monte Irvin of the Giants, and Carl Erskine of the Dodgers. 1954 transports readers across the baseball landscape of the time#151;from the spring training camps in Florida and Arizona to baseball cities including New York, Baltimore, Chicago, and Cleveland#151;as future superstars such as Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, and others entered the leagues and continued to integrate the sport. Weaving together the narrative of one of baseball's greatest seasons with the racially charged events of that year, 1954 demonstrates how our national pastime#151;with the notable exception of the Yankees, who represented "white supremacy" in the game#151;was actually ahead of the curve in terms of the acceptance of black Americans, while the nation at large continued to struggle with tolerance.
1954: A Landmark Decision
by Jacqueline B. WalkerIn the 1950s, African Americans leaders used the nation's laws and courts to confirm black citizens' rights. This article explores how America's schools finally became desegregated.
1956: The World in Revolt
by Simon HallVibrantly and perceptively told, this is the story of one remarkable year--a vivid history of exhilarating triumphs and shattering defeats around the world. 1956 was one of the most remarkable years of the twentieth century. All across the globe, ordinary people spoke out, filled the streets and city squares, and took up arms in an attempt to win their freedom. In this dramatic, page-turning history, Simon Hall takes the long view of the year's events--putting them in their post-war context and looking toward their influence on the counterculture movements of the 1960s--to tell the story of the year's epic, global struggles from the point of view of the freedom fighters, dissidents, and countless ordinary people who worked to overturn oppressive and authoritarian systems in order to build a brave new world. It was an epic contest. 1956 is the first narrative history of the year as a whole--and the first to frame its tumultuous events as part of an interconnected, global story of revolution.
The 1956 Hungarian Revolution: Hungarian and Canadian Perspectives (International Canadian Studies Series)
by Adam, Christopher; Egervari, Tibor; Laczko, Leslie; Young, JudyIn October 1956, a spontaneous uprising took Hungarian Communist authorities by surprise, prompting Soviet authorities to invade the country. After a few days of violent fighting, the revolt was crushed. In the wake of the event, some 200,000 refugees left Hungary, 35,000 of whom made their way to Canada. This would be the first time Canada would accept so many refugees of a single origin, setting a precedent for later refugee initiatives. More than fifty years later, this collection focuses on the impact of the revolution in Hungary, in Canada, and around the world.
1956 Suez Crisis And The United Nations
by Major Jean-Marc PierreThe 1956 Suez Crisis is the first example of a pre-emptive strike after World War II. The episode provides lessons about the lengths to which nations will go to secure their interests and the limits of the United Nation's influence. How the UN uses its power is the point of contention. In 1956, Great Britain, France, and Israel believed the organization would protect their security interests through the unbiased maintenance of international law. Yet, as common in the Cold War, UN action was hampered. A war began and ended with a cease-fire in fifty-five hours. Three militarily superior armies won their tactical fights but were strategically defeated. Most notably, the influence of global authority shifted to the superpowers. Through all this, the UN changed its mission and purpose. The primary question therefore is did the UN resolve the 1956 Suez Crisis? Resolution had to include a status quo ante bellum, the return to the existing system before the war, or the recognition of a new international Regime. The UN's ability to resolve such crises directly affects its legitimacy in the international community.
The 1956 War: Collusion and Rivalry in the Middle East (Cummings Center Series #Vol. 11)
by David TalRecently declassified documents and new scholarship have prompted this reassessment of the collusion between Israel, France and England which drove the 1956 War. International aspects, Israeli involvement, the plot which sparked off hostilities, and the Egyptian losses and gains are analyzed.
1957 Fargo Tornado (Images of America)
by Trista Raezer-Stursa Lisa Eggebraaten Jylisa Doney John HallbergOn the evening of June 20, 1957, a tornado ripped through Fargo, North Dakota. It caused the deaths of seven children and five adults and left 116 injured. The tornado destroyed 359 buildings and damaged 2,543 more. The nine-mile path of destruction covered over 66 blocks in town, leaving more than 2,000 people homeless and causing approximately $20 million worth of damage. Following the tornado, first responders quickly united to aid those in need, setting up disaster headquarters, finding shelter for over 600 people, and distributing more than 100 tons of clothing and bedding. Dr. Tetsuya Fujita, a meteorologist, studied the Fargo tornado when creating the Fujita scale (F-scale) and later rated it an F5, the most destructive rating. Images of America: 1957 Fargo Tornado, shines a light on the tornado's destruction and the rebuilding of a united and vibrant community.
The 1958 Colfax Tornado (Images of America)
by Troy KnutsonJune 4, 1958, was a muggy and breezy day in western Wisconsin. Across central Minnesota, severe weather was brewing. In the early afternoon, the Minnesota storms crossed the border into Wisconsin. As farmers were tending to milking chores and families were wrapping up the workday and sitting down to supper, one of the worst tornadoes in Wisconsin's history touched down. At 7:07 p.m., what had been multiple, smaller tornadoes combined into one massive F5 tornado that ripped through the village of Colfax, leaving a path of death and destruction that would require months of recovery. In Colfax, 12 people were killed, hundreds were injured, and millions of dollars in damage was done to property. However, in the wake of the storm, a community and its neighbors came together as one to care for the survivors and begin the process of healing and rebuilding.