The Fever of '57 is a DVD set of programs crafted for classroom use, with (3) :30 minute film segments that can be used back-to-back and designed to be used in conjunction with this companion educational website for Grade 8 - 16 Science, Social Studies and History . The educational program is being newly released in conjunction with the 50th anniversary celebration of Sputnik, Man's Evolution into Space, Explorer 1, and NASA (2007-2008). The film shows what happened after the launch of Sputnik and reveals how quickly tensions escalated between the Superpowers to a fever pitch. Using recently declassified footage, FEVER uncovers how President Eisenhower & Premier Khrushchev averted global disaster. FEVER presents period sound film that includes never before seen footage of the Sputnik launch, America's failed Vanguard launch, Laika the space dog, America's successful Explorer 1 launch, Rocket Boys, Hams, bomb-shelter builders, duck-and-cover drills, Wernher Von Braun, and scenes that depict everyday life in 1957 and 1958.

Important Storytellers Include:
Dr. Sergei Khrushchev - Son of Soviet Premier Khrushchev
Susan Eisenhower - Granddaughter of President Eisenhower
Daniel Schorr -Former CBS journalist and now NPR senior news analyst
Homer Hickam - Rocket boy and author of "October Sky"
Richard Rhodes - Author, Atomic Bomb Expert

This film was made by David Hoffman, 40 year veteran of documentary and educational programs with more than 100 prime-time and PBS award-winning programs and 4 feature-length docs. Hoffman's 4-part Turner series, Moon Shot won the Peabody Award. The Fever of '57 is based on the book Sputnik: The Shock on the Century by Paul Dickson. Author of more than 45 nonfiction books and hundreds of magazine articles, Dickson is a consummate historian and investigative journalist. Click here to learn about the team that created The Fever of '57 companion educational program that includes this website and its classroom resources.