Rise and Fall of the Future : America's Changing Vision of Tomorrow, 1939-1986

Arnold, Gordon

ISBN 10: 1476677441 / ISBN 13: 9781476677446

Published by McFarland, 2020

About this Item

Unread book in perfect condition.

Seller Inventory # 41451436

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Rise and Fall of the Future : America's Changing Vision of Tomorrow, 1939-1986
• Publisher: McFarland
• Publication Date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1476677441
• ISBN 13: 9781476677446
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: As New

About this title

Synopsis

Mid-20th century America envisioned a wondrous future of comfort, convenience and technological advancement. Popular culture--including World's Fairs, science fiction and advertising--fed high hopes even when war and hardship threatened. American ingenuity and consumer culture promised to deliver flying cars, undersea cities, household robots and space travel. By the 1960s political assassinations, the civil rights and women's movements, the Vietnam War and the "generation gap" eroded that optimism, refocusing attention on the issues of the present. The nation's utopian dream was brief but revealing. Based on a wide range of sources, this book takes a fresh look at America's precipitous fall from futurism to disillusionment.

About the Author

Gordon Arnold has taught at several colleges, including Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Massachusetts. He lives in the Boston area.