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 readers seeking a window into midcentury America, 1957 provides a highly readable tour through one of the most fascinating years in American history.

Eric Burns is a former correspondent for NBC News and the Today show. For ten years, he was the host of Fox News Watch, and hewon an Emmy for media criticism. He is the author of several books, including 1920: The Year That Made the Decade Roar, Infamous Scribblers, The Spirits of America, and The Smoke of the Gods, the latter two of which were named "Best of the Best" by the American Library Association. He resides in Norwalk, Connecticut.