I really enjoyed reading this book! It's filled with wonderful information and pictures galore! There are so many topics covered in the book. Major events, popular music and movies, lives of the stars, and so much more! I look forward to reading more books by this author!
I won a copy of this book via LibraryThing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Transport yourself back to the vibrant year of 1954 with this captivating book filled with over 225 iconic images and more than 25 vintage ads, making it an ideal birthday or wedding anniversary gift. Delve into the rich tapestry of culture, people, leading events, and arts that defined this remarkable era and continue to shape the world today. From politics and global events to entertainment, music, sports, and technological advancements, every aspect of 1954 is meticulously explored, offering readers a comprehensive yet engaging journey through history. With its beautiful presentation and extensive coverage of various topics, including iconic advertisements and popular leisure activities, this book offers an unforgettable time-travel experience that will rekindle emotions and spark curiosity. Whether you're a history enthusiast or simply eager to explore the past, this meticulously researched and beautifully crafted book is sure to captivate and inspire readers." ( )

Time Traveling to 1954 is a concise 100-page book that summarizes critical developments of that year in eight chapters, covering news and current events, crime and punishment, entertainment, sports, general information, births and deaths, statistics, and iconic advertisements. This organization is similar to earlier editions focusing on selected years in the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. The book contains one-paragraph summaries and lists of events accompanied by relevant photos.

This volume is competently edited compared to earlier volumes (e.g., 1963 and 1973), which contain word choice errors, sentence construction, and omitted words.

1954 was a year of notable developments. Those who lived through that time will enjoy the reminders in this volume, while younger readers will learn about developments that are still remembered (and celebrated) today. Among the signal events covered are:

• 
  The Marriage (and divorce nine months later) of Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio. The iconic image of Marilyn on a New Your with an updraft lifting her skirt is said to be one of the events that led to her divorce from the conventional DiMaggio.
  


• 
  The U. S. Supreme Court ruled that separate but equal opportunities based on race are inherently unequal. It seems unlikely that today’s biased Supreme Court would not reach that conclusion.
  


• 
  The words “under God,” were added to the Pledge of Allegiance.
  


• 
  The U. S. Senate censured Joseph McCarthy for his anti-communist distortion of the views and beliefs of left-leaning Americans.
  


• 
  Roger Bannister became the first human to run a mile in less than four minutes.
  


• 
  Ernest Hemmingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Old Man and The Sea.
  


• 
  White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye was the top box office draw. Other notable box office releases were Rear Window, The Caine Mutiny, Gone with the Wind, and On the Waterfront.
  


• 
  The Tonight Show debuted.
  


• 
  Bill Haley and His Comets jump-started the rock-and-roll revolution with Rock Around the Clock.
  


• 
  Elvis Presley made his first recording at Sun Records.
  


• 
  The first volume in Tolkien’s Lord of the Right trilogy was published.
  


• 
  The USS Nautilus, the first nuclear power submarine, was launched.
  

( )

Of course most of us choose these years to coincide with our birth year. Surprise, me too. I was around but barely remember any of this stuff, it was just a blur to me.

So we have the year 1954. And a fine year it was. The safe and secure 1950's under the leadership and safety of President Ike. This book takes us on the journey of what was and it covers a wide ride variety of topics from current events to sports and entertainment.

Each section is well written and the illustrations are simply fabulous. A term right out of that era. The only criticism I have is in the sports coverage they pretended that football did not exist. There is no pro football or college coverage. Baseball, basketball, and hockey are there but no football. Not sure why they dropped that but for the fans it leaves a void.

On balance it is a wonderful book and informative with great pics. Certainly you will want this for your collection especially if the year means you had arrived. ( )

'Time Traveling to 1954' by David J. Anderson, copyright 2023, is an independently published book or e-book distributed by Nuno Almeida . This reviewer received by e-mail a PDF (portable document format) when printed comprised 98 letter-size pages. The book's contents is as follows:

Chapter I: News & Current Events 1954
-- Leading Events
-- Other Major Events
-- Political Events
-- Other Notable Events
Chapter II: Crime & Punishment 1954
-- Major Crime Events
Chapter III: Entertainment 1954
-- Silver Screen
-- Top of the Charts
-- Television
Chapter IV: Sports Review 1954
-- American Sports
-- British Sports
-- International Sports
Chapter V: General 1954
-- Pop Culture
-- Technological Advancements
-- Fashion
-- Cars
-- Popular Recreation
Chapter VI: Births & Deaths 1954
-- Births
-- Deaths
Chapter VII: Statistics 1954
-- Cost of Things
Chapter VIII: Iconic Advertisements of 1954
-- [29 color images, 2 to 3 per 'page']

This reviewer was 10 years young in 1954 and remembers several events mentioned in Anderson's 'Time Traveling to 1954' as follows: Hurricane Hazel (October) which damaged my parent's house in upstate New York ; the New York Giants victory over Cleveland Indians in the World Series, especially Willy May's over-the-shoulder catch in the Polo Grounds ; the addition of the phrase “Under God” the the Pledge of Allegiance (June) ; at the movies I saw 'White Christmas' and '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' ; on my parent's new Admiral television, my siblings and I watched 'Father Knows Best' and 'Lassie' and sometimes 'I Love Lucy'. I remember my father (38 years old in 1954) saying that the big bands were going out of business and that the younger generation was more interested in the music of Bill Haley's Comets and an upstart named Elvis Presley. In his vinyl records collection he had the Miles Davis album, 'Birth of the Cool' (along with others by Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and Duke Ellington).

David Anderson's 'Time Traveling to 1954' is a well-structured book with glamorously illustrated content. I recommend it highly to those interested in strolling down memory lane. Five stars! ( )