During the 1950s and 1960s, the Cold War and the potential for nuclear attack were on everyone’s mind. It should therefore come as no surprise that despite an initial reluctance, several television shows that aired during this period focused on the atomic and hydrogen bombs (“the Bomb”) and their potential for destruction. Music and the Atomic Bomb on American Television, 1950-1969 is the first book to consider the important role that music and sound play in the destruction narratives about the Bomb on Cold War-era television. This book not only examines the television shows that deal with the nuclear weapons in various forms and genres, but also contextualizes these shows through an analysis of primary source documents such as government pamphlets and documents, newspaper and periodical reports, presidential records, composer and television production records, and informational trade paperbacks.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the Cold War and the potential for nuclear attack were on everyone’s mind. It should therefore come as no surprise that despite an initial reluctance, several television shows that aired during this period focused on the atomic and hydrogen bombs (“the Bomb”) and their potential for destruction. Music and the Atomic Bomb on American Television, 1950-1969 is the first book to consider the important role that music and sound play in the destruction narratives about the Bomb on Cold War-era television. This book not only examines the television shows that deal with the nuclear weapons in various forms and genres, but also contextualizes these shows through an analysis of primary source documents such as government pamphlets and documents, newspaper and periodical reports, presidential records, composer and television production records, and informational trade paperbacks.