Living Through The Red Scare (Living Through the Cold War)

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Grade 8 Up–This book provides 12 primary- and secondary-source readings about the years from 1947 to 1954, which marked the beginning of the Cold War and the rise and fall of McCarthyism. The volume opens with readings from those who encouraged strong measures to combat communism, including actor Ronald Reagan, Senator Joseph McCarthy, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and Whittaker Chambers. The second chapter offers an opposing view with readings from those who believed that fear and repression of civil liberties were the greatest threats to America, including Hollywood screenwriter John Howard Lawson, Senator Margaret Chase Smith, and playwright Arthur Miller–his essay compares the McCarthy era to the Salem witch trials. The final section examines how the Red Scare affected American culture, with period excerpts from Life and Look magazines, and retrospective chapters about television and McCarthyism, and the effects of McCarthyism on American education. Back matter includes an extensive list of adult books, five films, and four Web sites. The selections accurately capture the fear and division of the era, but this title does not have the background and detail found in more general histories such as Geoffrey A. Campbell's The Homefront: The Cold War (Gale, 2002) or Karen Zeinert's McCarthy and the Fear of Communism in American History (Enslow, 1998). It should be considered as a companion to them.–Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
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