1957: The Year That Launched the American Future

Eric Burns

Dec 2020 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by L.J. Ganser

About this audiobook

In 1957, America turned its back on its earlier self and jumped headlong into the nation it has become today. From Sputnik and the beginning of the space race to Little Richard and the underappreciated influence of rock n' roll in bringing blacks and whites closer together, to President Eisenhower's Interstate Highway Act, which forever changed the landscape, 1957 represents the year when all of the energy and anxiety that had followed the end of World War II exploded. In compelling stories from politics, pop culture, business, and the media, Eric Burns captures the excitement of a headspinning year and the lingering fallout that continues to resonate seven decades later. For baby boomers seeking to relive their formative years or listeners seeking a window into midcentury America, 1957 provides a must-listen tour through one of the most fascinating years in American history.

About the author

Eric Burns has won the American Library Association's "Best of the Best" award for The Spirits of American: A Social History of Alcohol, and The Smoke of the Gods: A Social History of Tobacco. He has also written 1920, chosen by Kirkus Reviews as one of the best non-fiction books of 2015. He lives in Westport, Connecticut.

L. J. Ganser is a triple Audie Award-winning narrator with over 600 titles recorded to date. Prized for versatility, his work ranges from hard science to magical fantasy, from stinging ants to the Civil War, from Roger Rabbit to infinity-and yes, even beyond. He lives in New York City with his family and dog, Mars.