Welcome to the spring 2013 semester of Queensborough

4History
History Seminar Series
Gerald Matacotta, MA, history instructor
The 1950s: American Culture in Mid-Century
The 1950s were a turning point in the cultural history of America. These cultural changes in
America led to a worldwide cultural revolution. Rock & Roll, Space Exploration, Television,
Consumerism, Cars and Highways, the Rise of the Suburbs, and Vacation Travel are just some
of the topics which will be covered in this fun and informative class.
Suggested Readings: Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States by Kenneth
T. Jackson; Fifties Style Then and Now by Richard Horn; Populuxe by Thomas Hine; California
Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way by Wendy Kaplan, Editor, and; Holy Land: A
Suburban Memoir by D. J. Waldie.
HIX-261 R / 2 sessions (4 hours) / $55 Thurs, 7:30-9:30pm, March 7 & 14
Churchill and Leadership
One of the greatest leaders of the twentieth century, Winston Churchill, through words
and deeds, led the Anglo-American world in its darkest time. Facing first Fascism and later
Communism, Churchill proved that the values and courage of free people will be victorious
over totalitarian states.
Suggested Readings: Churchill by Paul Johnson; Winston’s War: Churchill 1940-1945 by Sir Max
Hastings; Churchill: The Power of Words by Martin Gilbert, and; Churchill Style: The Art of
Being Winston Churchill by Barry Singer.
HIX-350 R / 2 sessions (4 hours)/ $55 Thurs, 7:30-9:30pm, April 11 & 18
Vicksburg-Gettysburg 1863: Two Battles that Saved the Union
During the first three days of July 1863, two battles, one in the West and one in the East, saved
Lincoln and the Union. Three great generals: Lee, Grant, and Meade, led their armies in these
great struggles. As part of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War… you will not want to miss
this exciting and interesting class!
Suggested Readings: Vicksburg, 1863 by Winston Groom; Gettysburg National Park Service
Guidebook, and; The Civil War: A Visual History published by The Smithsonian Institute.
HIX-360 R / 2 sessions (4 hours)/ $55 Thurs, 7:30-9:30pm, May 9 & 16
Personal Enrichment
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