The 1940s

Twelve narrative chapters chronicle the nation’s survival during wartime and its path toward unforeseen cultural shifts in the years ahead. Included are chapter bibliographies, a timeline, a cost comparison, and a suggested reading list for students. This latest addition to Greenwood’s American Popular Culture Through History series is an invaluable contribution to the study of American popular culture.

The 1940s were like no other time in U.S. history. The nation went to war in both Europe and Asia; meanwhile, the American population shifted from being largely rural to predominantly urban. The greatest generation saw, and helped, America change forever. Robert Sickels captures the many ways in which the nation’s popular culture grew and evolved. The 1940s saw the emergence of such phenomena as television, Levittown housing, comic-book superheroes, pre-packaged foods, Christian Dior’s New Look, the original swing music, and the first Beatniks. Twelve narrative chapters chronicle the nation’s survival during wartime and its path toward unforeseen cultural shifts in the years ahead.

Included are chapter bibliographies, a timeline, a cost comparison, and a suggested reading list for students. This latest addition to Greenwood’s American Popular Culture Through History series is an invaluable contribution to the study of American popular culture.

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