Neither Dead Nor Red: Civil Defense and American Political Development During the Early Cold War

From Bomb shelters and air raid drills to the Cold War rhetoric that justified everything from the interstate highway system to CIA wiretaps, Neither Dead Nor Read provides a fascinating glimpse at life in Cold War America.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 FRAMING THE PROBLEM; Chapter 2 Chapter 2 THE NEVER-ENDING THREAT: POLICY PLANNING AND THE COLD WAR; Chapter 3 Chapter 3 FROM CIVIC EDUCATION TO SOCIAL CONTROL; Chapter 4 Chapter 4 COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION AND THE FCDA; Chapter 5 Chapter 5 EMERGENCY PLANNING AND AMERICAN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT;

Review :
"This concise, scholarly book is unfortunately much timelier than its author could have hoped... We learn that a critical issue in 1952 remains as salient in 2002: Does civil defense really aspire to manage consequences of a catastrophic attack, or is it more an experiment in public psychology-- an illusion to ward off mass panic?." -- Foreign Affairs "Based on relevant secondary literature and research into primary sources, this thoughtful, tightly conceptualized, if at times densely theoretical monograph is an important contribution to Cold War political history. Choice." "If you think the Cold War was a charade, a delusion, or a passing fever, read Neither Dead Nor Red to learn otherwise. Grossman's nuanced account shows us the durable political effects of World War II and its aftermath. It also gives us good reasons for worrying today about any claim that rogue states and international terrorism justify abridgement of American freedoms." -- Charles Tilly, Joseph L. Buttenwieser Professor of Social Science, Columbia University "Quite compelling...Grossman's findings are especially significant in revealing how extraordinarily deeply the state was able to penetrate the rest of society. His portrayal of the co-optation of the media is particularly chilling. If Neither Dead Nor Red gets the attention it deserves, it should help move the discussion of the early cold war beyond our traditional preoccupations with diplomacy and partisan politics to an examination of the underlying bureaucratic forces that shaped what has come to be known as the national security state. It is, in short, one of the most coherent case studies of the expansion of the state during the early years of the cold war that has yet to appear." -- Ellen Schrecker, Professor of History, Yeshiva University, and author of Many are the Crimes: McCarthyism in America "This beautifully composed and deeply researched analytical history provides a fresh vantage from which to consider the assertive character of the post-war national security state and its impact on the beliefs and ways of life of ordinary citizens at the outset of the cold war. Neither Dead Nor Red thoughtfully and provocatively illuminates many subjects, including the impact of discretionary power on civil liberty, the erosion of the boundary between normal and emergency periods, and the constriction of the early civil rights movement. No student of post-war America can fail to reckon with its evidence, perspective, and carefully constructed claims." -- Ira Katznelson, Ruggles Professor of Political Science and History, Columbia University