Sputnik: The Shock of the Century
by Paul Dickson
This is the book upon which The Fever of '57 is based. Paul Dickson was co-writer of the film with David Hoffman. Paul Dickson is the author of more than 45 nonfiction books and hundreds of magazine articles. Although he has written on a variety of subjects from ice cream to kite flying to electronic warfare, he now concentrates on writing about the American language, baseball and 20th century history.

Other recent Sputnik books:

Red Moon Rising: Sputnik and the Hidden Rivalries that Ignited the Space Age
by Matthew Brzezinksi

A Ball, a Dog and a Monkey: 1957--The Space Race Begins
by Michael D'Antonio