Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, readable, and careless
Review: I read Patterson's book in order to improve my general understanding of the period (1945 - 1974) that he describes. Even though I had lived through those years, I realized that my knowledge and understanding of what happened then were somewhat cursory at best. I finished the book somewhat disapppointed. For one thing, even though my knowledge of the era was limited, I easily noticed a number of surprising errors. In one egregious example, Patterson devotes a page (p. 276) to describe how 'On March 1, 1954, the United States tested the world's first hydrogen bomb..'. He goes on to tell us how fallout from this test sickened crewmen on a Japanese fishing boat, and led to a public outcry. However, as he could have learned from an ordinary World Almanac, the United States tested the first hydrogen bomb in 1952, not 1954. The test he describes is actually the notorious Castle Bravo test, which did in fact occur on March 1, 1954. (The use of lithium deuteride fuel in this test led to an unpredicted secondary reaction, which in turn led the bomb to yield 15 megatons rather than the expected 6, thus endangering the Japanese fishermen, etc.) At another point (p. 669) he preposterously tells us that the phrase 'acid test' dates from the mid 1960's and stems from the use of LSD during that time. He would have been well-advised to consult an ordinary dictionary before making this claim - unless, in fact, it is merely a very subtle joke on the reader. I also noticed his somewhat uncritical description of an April, 1972 bombing attack as 'killing an estimated 100,000 North Vietnamese troops' (p. 758). One can only speculate on how many NVA soldiers Patterson thought were wounded in this attack, which must have marked a turning point in the history of warfare. What I found especially unsettling about this sort of thing was Patterson's claim (p. xii) - a claim I have no reason to doubt - that a number of eminent historians 'read every word' of his manuscript. One wonders - didn't any of these historians remember hearing people say 'acid test' before the age of LSD? (Subsequently, after whatever fact-checking the publisher found appropriate, the book appeared as Volume X in the Oxford History of the United States, and went on to win the 1997 Bancroft Prize in History.) So why, given its obvious unreliability with respect to facts, have I given this book four stars instead of one or two. In the first case, I make allowances for the sprawling unmanageability of the period, and of recent times in general. In the second case, the writing is reasonably balanced and judicious - though Patterson seems to be a liberal, he is neither hysterical nor shrilly self-righteous. Thirdly, the author has made a valiant effort to include and integrate coverage of foreign and domestic politics, the economy, social trends, popular and high culture, and so on. Finally, the book is very readable, though not nearly up to the literary level of its predecessor volume in the series, David Kennedy's distinguished Freedom From Fear: The American people in Depression and War, 1929-1945.
Rating: 
Summary: A well-balanced overview of America's most troubled era
Review: James Patterson has assembled the most comprehensive survey of contemporary American history. With the Cold War as the backdrop, he guides the reader through a tumultuous period that took in two wars and the Civil Rights movement. He amply describes the nature of these conflicts and the impact they had on American society. The leading figures are brought into focus, as well as the crucial events of the periods such as the Cuban Missile Crisis. He weaves in a wide variety of cultural issues such as religion, noting how it has influenced successive administrations. He ends the period with the downfall of Nixon, who appears throughout the book from his involvement in the House anti-American investigations, to his vice-presidency under Eisenhower to his subsequent presidency. It is a well-rounded account and a wonderful addition to the Oxford History of the United States. What was most interesting to me was the powerful influence religion had on our society and the conflicts that arose during the Civil Rights movement and the Age of Aquarius. Patterson noted that Americans remained the most devoted church-goers throughout the troublesome 60's. The church became the rallying point of the Civil Rights movement, and also served as the bastion of white supremacy. Such contradictions made for volatile conflicts as each side felt it had the moral upper hand. The seemingly all-pervasive drug culture may have captured the public's imagination, but by and large America remained a nation of social conservatives. Patterson provides good overviews of the Korean and Vietnam wars, tying them into the ideology of the Cold War. He shows the seamless pattern that ran through these conflicts, as well as other conflicts in which the US found itself embroiled in during its effort to defeat communism. The costly battles left millions of Asians dead and no clear victories, tarnishing the reputation we had achieved after WWII as the champion of democracy. He illustrates how each president from Truman to Nixon tried to avoid these conflicts, but somehow could never shake the "Losing China syndrome." It is a well-documented book covering a tremendous amount of ground. Patterson steers clear of polemics, opting for a well-balanced assessment of the era. Naturally when one takes on such a broad subject, certain discrepencies do arise, but there are no glaring errors, and the book has a narrative grace that leads the reader effortlessly through the tumultuous events.
Rating:
Summary: A well-balanced overview of America's most troubled era
Review: James Patterson has assembled the most comprehensive survey of contemporary American history. With the Cold War as the backdrop, he guides the reader through a tumultuous period that took in two wars and the Civil Rights movement. He amply describes the nature of these conflicts and the impact they had on American society. The leading figures are brought into focus, as well as the crucial events of the periods such as the Cuban Missile Crisis. He weaves in a wide variety of cultural issues such as religion, noting how it has influenced successive administrations. He ends the period with the downfall of Nixon, who appears throughout the book from his involvement in the House anti-American investigations, to his vice-presidency under Eisenhower to his subsequent presidency. It is a well-rounded account and a wonderful addition to the Oxford History of the United States. What was most interesting to me was the powerful influence religion had on our society and the conflicts that arose during the Civil Rights movement and the Age of Aquarius. Patterson noted that Americans remained the most devoted church-goers throughout the troublesome 60's. The church became the rallying point of the Civil Rights movement, and also served as the bastion of white supremacy. Such contradictions made for volatile conflicts as each side felt it had the moral upper hand. The seemingly all-pervasive drug culture may have captured the public's imagination, but by and large America remained a nation of social conservatives. Patterson provides good overviews of the Korean and Vietnam wars, tying them into the ideology of the Cold War. He shows the seamless pattern that ran through these conflicts, as well as other conflicts in which the US found itself embroiled in during its effort to defeat communism. The costly battles left millions of Asians dead and no clear victories, tarnishing the reputation we had achieved after WWII as the champion of democracy. He illustrates how each president from Truman to Nixon tried to avoid these conflicts, but somehow could never shake the "Losing China syndrome." It is a well-documented book covering a tremendous amount of ground. Patterson steers clear of polemics, opting for a well-balanced assessment of the era. Naturally when one takes on such a broad subject, certain discrepencies do arise, but there are no glaring errors, and the book has a narrative grace that leads the reader effortlessly through the tumultuous events.
Rating: 
Summary: Lacks up to date information on the cold war
Review: Much of US history in the latter half of the 20th century must focus on the Cold War, and one would expect the Oxford History volume of this period to provide up to date information on that subject. Sadly, this volume does not make use of the materials being made available from the Soviet and other archives, which was able to conclusivly answer many questions previously unresolved (few serious scholars doubt that Alger Hiss was a Soviet spy or that the Rosenbergs were innocent). He is agnostic on the issue of who was to blame for the cold war. While some may see this as even handed, it is difficult to sympathize with a man who cannot distinguish between a nation fighting to keep the world free and one struggling to spread its tyranny as far as possible. Further, Patterson unnecessarily reveals his biases against certain historical figures. He quotes with approval a "scholarly" statement about the cold, black Reagan years and errroneously asserts (in his discussion of Watergate) that Reagan involked executive privilege to hinder the Iran-Contra investigation (the privilege was never asserted at all). The book is a comprehensive overview of the period and does present a compelling thesis - that the progress made during that period engendered "Grand Expectations" that would lead to problems down the road when the march towards progress in terms of economics growth, civil rights, etc. got off track. Still, readers should consult a more authoritative author to learn about the Cold War, such as John Lewis Gaddis' "We Now Know" for a more competent and complete examination of Cold War issues.
Rating:
Summary: A reasonably worthwhile overview of a difficult period
Review: Patchy yet ultimately worthwhile overview of post war United States history to 1974. As part of the Oxford History of the United States though it lacks the literary finesse of some of the other volumes in the series, namely James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom and David Kennedy's Freedom From Fear, which dealt with the preceding period 1929 to 1945.
Unlike Kennedy's brilliant work, which had a more flowing, cohesive narrative, this book is more a collection of self-contained essays, most of which could be read in isolation. Nevertheless it makes a creditable stab at interpreting a turbulent period of rapid change in US and world history and placing it in some sort of proper context, always a difficult skill for an historian writing about still relatively recent events. The book is scrupulously balanced and fair-minded. It at most has a slightly liberal slant, yet is conspicuous in examining most events from opposing standpoints. The Eisenhower administration for example is praised for ensuring international stability when the cold war could easily have turned hot. Yet domestically, Eisenhower's innate conservatism drove his reluctance to "rock the boat" and address nascent problems of race and class issues in a period of sustained economic growth, thus ensuring such issues would become critical in succeeding decades.
The Grand Expectations of the title is Patterson's dominant theme. In international and world affairs they refer to the United States' post-war sense of destiny in maintaining the peace and security of the world and of stemming the perceived Communist conspiracy of world wide domination, which was allied to a can-do attitude that led political leaders and the populace to believe anything was achievable. These expectations became eroded and undermined in the morass of Vietnam. Likewise, domestically the US experienced unprecedented economic growth from the late forties onwards, growth which brought with it increased expectancy across racial, class and gender lines for social and economic equality. Such expectations lay at the heart of the upheavals of the sixties and the growth of the civil rights movement.
Faced with such a contentious period of history, Patterson's book deserves much credit in taking such a middle of the road stance as it does. The result is a work which is more a synergy and synopsis of existing research on the period. I don't think much primary research was undertaken. There is a heavy reliance on statistics in some chapters, while some of the earlier portions of the book are written and edited in a surprisingly sloppily manner. The book indeed takes about 200 pages to get into its stride. When it does, particularly in dealing with the Johnson and Nixon years and the civil rights movement, it doesn't fail to impress. Overall I'd recommend it, but only just.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful as well as informative!
Review: Patterson lays bare the most interesting period of American
History. His narrative is easily understood and at times
downright entertaining. A must for history buffs and those
who may not be too keen on the idea of reading history.
Rating:
Summary: Grand Expectations Indeed
Review: Patterson writes about a time in American history when We as Americans hade high hopes for what this country could do. Patterson makes you believe that you were part of tha tmonent in history from his explation of the ecomic boom after the war to the kennedy assination to the fall and failure of the grend expectations set forth by the society eith Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal
Rating: 
Summary: A Mediocre Job
Review: The fascinating difference in Brown history professor James T. Patterson's approach to the twenty years after the end of World War Two is in his daring to approach the subject thematically rather than chronologically, which gives both cause for celebration as well as some moments of frustration. While this excellent, literate, and quite readable book is intended for a general audience as an integral part of the so far impeccable Oxford History of the United States series of monographs, including such notable others as the outstanding recent "Freedom From Fear" by Stanford professor David Kennedy (see my review of it), it is not, in my view, a book for the uninitiated or novice history buff. This much said in way of qualification, I found it to be a wonderful and scholarly book, organized quite usefully and thematically along several critical historical issues unfolding during this time. First, it covers the rise of civil rights consciousness and the subsequent struggle for equality by American minorities; second, it describes in detail the historical phenomenon of the cold war and its concomitant policies and its consequences for Americans in graphic social, economic and political terms; and finally, it explains how the changing demographic composition of the country in both geographic and economic terms changed the nature of economic and political life in America. All of this is seen through the prism of a change of unequalled economic prosperity and growing disparities between the affluent and those the economic engine driving the country left behind. At the end of WWII, many in this country foresaw a time of burgeoning opportunities and unequalled economic, social, and political growth and movement toward the great American society. Moving from a society that was largely still rural, un-electrified, and agrarian, the post-war boom of the late forties and fifties saw a virtual cultural transformation in the country into one largely urban and suburban, affluent, and industrially employed. Indeed, the fifties represent a watershed period in American history, a time of unequalled wealth and new prosperity for a majority of its citizens. Yet the America of this period also had more discouraging and less wholesome aspects to it, and these are described and explained in a thoughtful, erudite, and comprehensive narrative that helps one to better understand how this period in American history made us what we are today. Trudging purposefully through a colorful panorama that makes the incredible journey all the way from Harry Truman to Richard Nixon, this culturally astute, insightful & memorable book covers the waterfront of a tumultuous, fractious, & endlessly exciting period of American history. It is truly a book belonging on every purported 20th century history buff's bookshelf. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Addition To The Oxford American History Series
Review: The fascinating difference in Brown history professor James T. Patterson's approach to the twenty years after the end of World War Two is in his daring to approach the subject thematically rather than chronologically, which gives both cause for celebration as well as some moments of frustration. While this excellent, literate, and quite readable book is intended for a general audience as an integral part of the so far impeccable Oxford History of the United States series of monographs, including such notable others as the outstanding recent "Freedom From Fear" by Stanford professor David Kennedy (see my review of it), it is not, in my view, a book for the uninitiated or novice history buff. This much said in way of qualification, I found it to be a wonderful and scholarly book, organized quite usefully and thematically along several critical historical issues unfolding during this time. First, it covers the rise of civil rights consciousness and the subsequent struggle for equality by American minorities; second, it describes in detail the historical phenomenon of the cold war and its concomitant policies and its consequences for Americans in graphic social, economic and political terms; and finally, it explains how the changing demographic composition of the country in both geographic and economic terms changed the nature of economic and political life in America. All of this is seen through the prism of a change of unequalled economic prosperity and growing disparities between the affluent and those the economic engine driving the country left behind. At the end of WWII, many in this country foresaw a time of burgeoning opportunities and unequalled economic, social, and political growth and movement toward the great American society. Moving from a society that was largely still rural, un-electrified, and agrarian, the post-war boom of the late forties and fifties saw a virtual cultural transformation in the country into one largely urban and suburban, affluent, and industrially employed. Indeed, the fifties represent a watershed period in American history, a time of unequalled wealth and new prosperity for a majority of its citizens. Yet the America of this period also had more discouraging and less wholesome aspects to it, and these are described and explained in a thoughtful, erudite, and comprehensive narrative that helps one to better understand how this period in American history made us what we are today. Trudging purposefully through a colorful panorama that makes the incredible journey all the way from Harry Truman to Richard Nixon, this culturally astute, insightful & memorable book covers the waterfront of a tumultuous, fractious, & endlessly exciting period of American history. It is truly a book belonging on every purported 20th century history buff's bookshelf. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Neither this nor that
Review: The first two volumes of the Oxford History of the United States synthesized recent scholarly research into readable, even exciting narratives, arranged chronologically to tell the story of their periods. For this volume, author Patterson has made the decision to organize his book thematically rather chronologically. In my opinion, this decision was nothing short of a disaster, because the structure ensures that no narrative momentum or continuity is established. The book reads like a series of monographs. But they are not scholarly monographs, since the sources are exclusively secondary (even when prominent public figures are quoted and the original sources would be child's play to locate). The first two volumes of the series were scholarly works in the form of popular storytelling. What we have here is the opposite -- a rehash in the form of academic research. It doesn't help that Patterson's political discussions rarely go deeper than a Time magazine article. Compared to Battle Cry of Freedom or The Glorious Cause, this book is a nearly total failure. Still, it's much better than most academic history in that it presents a fair amount of information without shaving the facts into evidence to support some narrow little argument, it totally avoids jargon, and there's no score-settling with academic enemies. So it gets two stars on the basis that it could have been worse -- it could have been like most of the stuff produced by our history departments.
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