Boomer Days - Softcover

Russo, Gus

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1461031516 ISBN 13: 9781461031512

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2011

Synopsis

Whether you’re a nostalgic member of the post-WWII generation or a digital native wondering what all the “Sixties” talk is about, you will find something to put a smile on your face as Gus Russo takes you on a personal cinematic ride through the turbulent 1960s, 1970s, and beyond. Emerging from the funky blue-collar Baltimore that gave rise to Edgar Allan Poe, H.L. Mencken, Frank Zappa, and John Waters, Russo nurtured an endless curiosity and joie de vivre by inserting himself ala “Zelig” (or is it “Forrest Gump”?) into the worlds of a stunning array of American icons— from music, to tennis, to politics, to filmmaking. However, he didn’t do so as a “fan,” but as a modern-day Siddhartha, trying to work with, and most importantly learn from the best. He made music with them, played tennis with them, and got pepper-sprayed at rallies with them. Through his eyes we view the civil rights movement, the JFK assassination, the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, the golden ages of tennis and music, and the rise of the counterculture. Like the late raconteur Jean Shepherd, Russo universalizes his growing-up experience as he follows his bliss during one of the most exciting times to be young in America. Boomer Days will make older readers misty-eyed and younger ones infinitely more informed about this transformational period in American history.

About this title

Review

Russo's memoir is as entertaining as it is nostalgic... Far more than a life story, this book is a chronicle of Baby Boomers in America, told through the lens of Russo's own experiences...But in many ways, Russo's story is America's story...Boomer Days will not disappoint.
            - Michael Williams,  Erickson Tribune.

This is a book to be read and remembered. The only way to fully grasp it is to let it sink in entirely. It makes you stop and think about what is important to you and what you can live without. It makes you ask, "What am I doing with my life?"
- Michelle Sumpter, The Retriever Weekly (University of Maryland Baltimore County)

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1461031516
• ISBN 13: 9781461031512
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 354