Boomers: The Cold-War Generation Grows Up

By Victor D. Brooks

Book Overview

The unexpected surge in the birthrate between 1946 and 1964 transformed American society. A nation that had projected a population peaking at 150 million, and feared a renewal of the Great Depression in the wake of World War II, found itself dealing with a booming economy and 70 million children straining the capacity of everything from schools to new suburban housing. In Boomers, Victor Brooks chronicles the peaceful children's "invasion" of America that occurred from Dr. Spock to Woodstock. He identifies the challenge of parenthood in an era of large families and overcrowded homes, and explores the home life, leisure activities, and school environment of children who grew up during the cold war years. A major theme of Boomers is the influence on children of a newly energized American popular culture, including television, film, popular music, and toys.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1566637244
• ISBN13: 9781566637244
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee Publisher
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 3.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

"Boomers" helps prepare for retirement tsunami

Victor E. Brooks' "Boomers: The Cold-War Generation Grows Up" is a quick, but compelling read. With less than 200 pages, it is packed with historical, demographic and cultural insights about the "largest generation," if not "The Greatest." Returning World War II veterans set about creating families - in many cases large families - and embarked on an unprecedented path for America. In the 18 years that followed the end of World War II, about 77 million babies were born. While some feared the war's end would return the United States and the world to the Great Depression days, the opposite occurred. Boomers and their parents created enormous wealth and prosperity. Brooks, a professor of historical foundations at Pennsylvania's Villanova University, details the cultural, economic, political, religious and geographic factors that shaped Boomers' lives and attitudes. For Boomers, the book is a walk down "memory lane." For everyone, the book is a "must read" to prepare for the tsunami of Boomers headed into retirement. It gives insights into the challenges and potentials that loom ahead for those providing services to aging Boomers and for companies hoping to capitalize on the generation's enormous and continuing spending potential. Boomers - people born between 1946 and 1964 - are about 77 million strong. The generation often has been described as the "pig in the python" -- the big lump that moves along the demographic line. The "lump" once filled the nation's schools, later swelled the labor force and then super-heated the consumer economy. The first Boomer will turn 65 in 2011. Already someone in the United States is turning 65 years old every seven seconds. Social Security is reeling from the leading edge of this Boomer wave. Boomers are expected to be the healthiest, most active, affluent and long-living group of retirees. Are we prepared to meet their demands and needs? Brooks' book helps us prepare. John Hardisty, Bakersfield

An intriguing survey

BOOMERS: THE COLD-WAR GENERATION GROWS UP offers a chronicle of newborn children during the period between the end of World War II and the close of the 1960s, analyzing how the influence on children of a new American pop culture monitored by adults contributed to the growing 'generation gap' of later years. An intriguing survey, this is recommended for any general interest library strong in American popular history and social issues.

Do Baby Boomers Really Grow Up?

Do Baby Boomers ever really grow up and what happens when and if they do? Boomers is the story of how the generation that followed "The Greatest Generation" has changed the world forever.