I am a Baby Boomer - Jim Chambers is one of the original baby boomers, so he has more memories of the 50's, but it is a wonderful look back to a time of wonder, of innocent fun, and discovery.
I think we are now jaded with our wi-fi and HDTV and cable - how could a family exist with just radio, no A/C and dishwashers and microwaves????
Ah but we did.
I was born and bred in Atlanta, the Virginia-Highland area, (now a trendy area) there were so many memories Mr. Chambers brought up and it is a great read.
There are some of the items I mention that probably blend from the '50's into the '60's, so some notes of my memories may be blurred as a little kid in Atlanta tottling around, child of a Greek-American family, Greek my first language.
I know this is in the '50's when The Cisco Kid (Of Pancho! Oh Cisco!) visted Cracker Stadium - that used to be on Ponce de Leon across from Sears which is now City Hall East - All I remember is my blessed Grandmother there, and she loved The Cisco Kid and he rode around on his horse and it was fun.
Mad Magazine was a favorite at my house - my older brother had Mad, as well as all the Marvel, DC and other new comics - I was interested in Alfred E. Neuman and him saying "What me, worry?" the same quote I have on my Amazon page.
The children's shows the local television stations had - again probably melding from decade to the next - Officer Don Kennedy on WSB and Skippy Ray McKay - all showing cartoons and whipping the kids in the audience into frenzies. Miss Boo, with her fake spider. Miss Boo was a witch. Go figure - I thought she was funny - but I was a little bitty, ok?
All funny kids shows that no one would miss and you'd be an instant celebrity if you were seen on them.
Mr. Chamber's books gave me great memories, growing up with The Varsity, the longest drive in restaurant in the world, near GA. Tech, which we still adore - and is a treat we always look forward to - If you ever visit ATL you HAVE to visit The V!!
Wish there had been pictures other than the cover, but it would be too expensive to have them on the pages the items were mentioned.
But I think this book should be a mandatory read for every Baby Boomer. It brings back a time where we made our own food, and entertainment and lived to tell about it!
It is a gem of a book that waits to be explored.
ellen george
Recollections: A Baby Boomer's Memories of the Fabulous Fifties, by Jim Chambers, ISBN: 978-0-557-09100-3, Lulu Publications, review by ellen george
