THE FIFTIES An Underground History

Blessed with a fine and resonant voice, James Fouhey eloquently performs this revisionist history. His clear tone and thoughtful pace enrich the portraits of unsung activists and pioneering thinkers in this compelling audiobook. Cultural historian Gaines upends the bland decade of the fifties by revealing the "underground history" that spawned the gay and Civil Rights movements and the roots of feminism and ecology. He profiles Harry Hay, founder of the pro-gay rights Mettachine Society; Robert F. Williams, who led armed Black WWII vets against KKK attacks; Fanny Lou Hamer, the extraordinarily brave leader who exemplified the importance of Black women in the movement; Gerda Lerner, the Austrian refugee who helped found women's history; and the insightful Rachel Carson, whose pioneering work, SILENT SPRING, spawned the environmental awakening. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2022]