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.

. . . the clear message of [1957] is that the center wasn’t holding. The Western escapism on TV (Gunsmoke) and re-litigation of World War II glories in theaters (The Bridge on the River Kwai) belied emerging ideological fault lines that would widen in the coming decades.Ingeniously, Burns connects chapters about Billy Graham’s 97-day run at New York stadiums with the publication of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, twin milestones for evangelicals and libertarians. . . . Burns’s casual look beneath the surface reveals a host of disintegrations and delayed reckonings, ones that have lasted to this day. * AIR MAIL *
A densely written, fact-packed account of a pivotal period in U.S. history. * Washington Independent Review of Books *
4.5/5 Stars. 1957 offers a candid view of an eventful year in a decade of ups and downs. From mad bombers to mad hatters, the book maintains a consistency of captivating chapters . . . The past is reanimated with a passionate fervor for the masses to enjoy. * Manhattan Book Review *
Eric Burns’ fast-paced cultural history spotlights 1957 – a pivotal year in Eisenhower’s America. Burns connects the dots to show how Sputnik, the Little Rock Nine, the McClellan Committee, Jack Kerouac, Billy Graham, Walter O’Malley, West Side Story, the ‘57 Chevy, rock & roll, and more helped shape modern America. -- Richard Aquila, Professor Emeritus of History, Penn State University, the Behrend College
In 1957: The Year That Launched the American Future, a fascinating, fast-paced chronicle manifested by articulately rendered, thought-provocative chapter-length essays, author and journalist Eric Burns reminds us of what a pivotal year that proved to be, not only by kindling that first contest to dominate space, but in multiple other arenas of the social, political, and cultural, much that is only apparent in retrospect. * Regarp Book Blog *

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.