In the Shadow of Fear: America and the World in 1950 [Hardcover]

An evocative portrait of a divided America at the dawn of the Cold War 
  
Halfway through the twentieth century, the United States towered over the world in industrial might. After winning the 1948 election, Harry Truman hoped to use this economic strength to build on FDR’s achievements with new liberal reforms. But then, in just ten months between September 1949 and June 1950, the president’s ambitions were overtaken by events that left the country gripped by rage and fear. The Soviets tested an atomic bomb, Mao’s army swept through China, and at home Truman faced labor unrest and a Republican Party desperate for power.  
  
In the Shadow of Fearis an innovative and gripping history of this pivotal moment. Recounting the launch of Senator Joe McCarthy’s anti-communist crusade, the defeat of Truman’s liberal program, and the start of the Korean War, prizewinning historian Nick Bunker shows us a polarized nation facing crises at home and abroad—a story with deep resonances today.  Nick Bunkerwon the 2015 George Washington Book Prize withAn Empire on the Edge, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for History. His other books includeMaking Haste from Babylon, which was long listed for the UK’s Samuel Johnson Prize, andYoung Benjamin Franklin. "A vivid look at a pivotal year at the beginning of the Cold War...Great history of a dismal period."
 Kirkus (starred review)"Based on extensive primary research, this highly readable account highlights these critical months when the U.S. enjoyed its prosperity, and part of the world descended into violence. An important read for those interested in postwar American history, both domestic and abroad."
 Library Journal (starred review)"An illuminating take on 20th-century American historyl³j