American History Too!

On the thirteenth episode of American History Too! we embark on our very first sequel – picking up where episode six left off in our discussion of Nuclear Fallout. Why did one researcher collect thousands of baby teeth and why are her results quite terrifying?  When and where did the US almost nuke its own citizens – and how was disaster averted?  Were fallout shelters a genuine attempt to help the population in the event of nuclear warfare or were they merely ‘for show’?  Our resident nuclear aficionado has all the answers.   Finally, how was nuclear fallout represented in film and literature during the 1950s and 1960s?  We explore On the Beach, Dr Stangelove, and why the British government chose to censor Peter Watkins’ The War Game (1965) which depicted the impact of nuclear warfare on Great Britain.  And always remember, ye cannae spend a dollar when your deid! We’ll be back in a fortnight with a discussion of the contentious decade that was the 1980s.  Cheers, Mark and Malcolm Reading