From April 1964 to October 1965, some 52 million people from aroundthe world flocked to the New York World's Fair, an experience that liveson in the memory of many individuals and in America's collective consciousness.
Taking a perceptive look back at the last of the great world'sfairs, Samuel offers a vivid portrait of this seminal event and of thecultural climate that surrounded it.
He also counters critics' assessmentsof the fair as the ugly duckling of global expositions.
Opening fivemonths after President Kennedy's assassination, the fair allowed millionsto celebrate international fellowship while the conflict in Vietnam cameto a boil.
This event was perhaps the last time so many from so far couldgather to praise harmony while ignoring cruel realities on such a gargantuanscale.
This world's fair glorified the postwar American dream oflimitless optimism even as a counterculture of sex, drugs, and rock n rollcame into being.
It could rightly be called the last gasp of that dream: The End of the Innocence.
Samuel's work charts the fair from inception in 1959 to demolition in1966 and provides a broad overview of the social and cultural dynamicsthat led to the birth of the event.
It also traces thematic aspects of thefair, with its focus on science, technology, and the world of the future.
Accessible, entertaining, and informative, the book is richly illustrated withcontemporary photographs.
About the Author: Lawrence R.
Samuel is the author of seven books, including Pledging Allegiance: American Identity and the Bond Drive of World War II and Television Advertising and the American Dream.
He lives in Miami Beach, Florida.
| Dream | The |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence |
| Allegiance | American |
Syracuse University Press The end of the innocence: the 1964-1965 new york world's fair, paperback/lawrence samuel
