Traces the events, trends, and important people of the 1950s, including science, technology, politics, fashion, the arts, sports, and entertainment.

When the U.S. Army drafted Elvis Presley in 1958, it quickly set about transforming the King of Rock and Roll from a rebellious teen idol into a clean-cut GI. Trading in his gold-trimmed jacket for standard-issue fatigues, Elvis became a model soldier in an army facing the unprecedented challenge of building a fighting force for the Atomic Age. In an era that threatened Soviet-American thermonuclear annihilation, the army declared it could limit atomic warfare to the battlefield. It not only adopted a radically new way of fighting but also revamped its equipment, organization, concepts, and training practices. From massive garrisons in Germany and Korea to nuclear tests to portable atomic weapons, the army reinvented itself. Its revolution in warfare required an equal revolution in personnel: the new army needed young officers and soldiers who were highly motivated, well trained, and technologically adept. Drafting Elvis demonstrated that even this icon of youth culture was not too cool to wear the army’s uniform. The army of the 1950s was America’s most racially and economically egalitarian institution, providing millions with education, technical skills, athletics, and other opportunities. With the cooperation of both the army and the media, military service became a common theme in television, music, and movies, and part of this generation’s identity. Brian Linn traces the origins, evolution, and ultimate failure of the army’s attempt to transform itself for atomic warfare, revealing not only the army’s vital role in creating Cold War America but also the experiences of its forgotten soldiers.

Outlines the important social, political, economic, cultural, and technological events that happened in the United States from 1950 to 1959.

Rebellious Elvis : An (un)American Dream in the 1950s -- Cold War Elvis : The 1950s outside the United States -- American Elvis : The Army Years -- Sunshine Elvis : The American Way of Life, Hollywood, and the 1960s -- Iconic Elvis : Comeback, Transformation, and Death.

Describes the important world, national, and cultural developments of the decade 1950-1959.

This highly praised book presents a remarkable collection of early snapshots and news clippings from the 1950s -- an intriguing scrapbook of the type that Elvis might have assembled for himself. The book places us with ¿The King¿ from Memphis disk jockey Dewey Phillips¿ airing of Elvis¿ first Sun Records single, and we follow him through the three years of concerts, interviews, mob scenes and press conferences that were to form the basis of the Presley legend and change the face of American popular music forever. ¿A fascinating account of the way in which the American media reacted to the threatening emergence of rock and roll into the mainstream of the nation¿s life.¿ Reprint edition. Over 150 photos and illustrations.

When the U.S. Army drafted Elvis Presley in 1958, it quickly set about transforming the King of Rock and Roll from a rebellious teen idol into a clean-cut GI. Trading in his gold-trimmed jacket for standard-issue fatigues, Elvis became a model soldier in an army facing the unprecedented challenge of building a fighting force for the Atomic Age. In an era that threatened Soviet-American thermonuclear annihilation, the army declared it could limit atomic warfare to the battlefield. It not only adopted a radically new way of fighting but also revamped its equipment, organization, concepts, and training practices. From massive garrisons in Germany and Korea to nuclear tests to portable atomic weapons, the army reinvented itself. Its revolution in warfare required an equal revolution in personnel: the new army needed young officers and soldiers who were highly motivated, well trained, and technologically adept. Drafting Elvis demonstrated that even this icon of youth culture was not too cool to wear the army’s uniform. The army of the 1950s was America’s most racially and economically egalitarian institution, providing millions with education, technical skills, athletics, and other opportunities. With the cooperation of both the army and the media, military service became a common theme in television, music, and movies, and part of this generation’s identity. Brian Linn traces the origins, evolution, and ultimate failure of the army’s attempt to transform itself for atomic warfare, revealing not only the army’s vital role in creating Cold War America but also the experiences of its forgotten soldiers.