Cold War Long Island

January 18, 2022
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The cover of the book Cold War Long Island.
Christopher Verga and Karl Grossman document life on Long Island during the Cold War years.

Journalist Karl Grossman and historian Christopher Verga have teamed up for the new book Cold War Long Island, out now from the History Press. In it, they detail the productive and tumultuous post-World War II years on Long Island. With an influx of returning GIs and an increase of military spending to counteract the growing strength of the Soviet Union and other communist countries, Nassau and Suffolk Counties saw rapid growth. Aviation companies like Republic and Grumman became household names and a housing boom, epitomized by suburban communities like Levittown, brought many people to the area.

Grossman and Verga also highlight the challenges that came with the prosperity. Neighborhoods like Levittown denied homes to Black veterans. Widespread anxiety led to a rise in prescription drug abuse. Nuclear missiles were stationed across the Island and the everyday use of nuclear power was promoted by the government with little or no acknowledgment of its dangers. And that’s not even mentioning Plum Island.

Join us for this wide-ranging discussion on the 1950s, 60s, and 70s as we take in everything from Nazi scientists to the United Nations, space tourism, and the Rolling Stones.

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