In-Store Book Signing: Cold War California
with author Gary Powers, Jr.
Join us in the Spy Museum Store for a special book signing event for Cold War California with author Gary Powers, Jr.
In Defense of Democracy
The focal point of western defense against Soviet aggression during the Cold War, California proved instrumental in preventing a Third World War during the twentieth century. The state’s major military presence on land, air, and sea diverged with a peaceful counterpart that created the United Nations in San Francisco in 1946.
Muroc Field, the future Edward Air Force Base, was the site of Chuck Yeager’s feat breaking the sound barrier in 1947, and Lockheed Skunkworks produced the top-secret high-tech U2 Dragon Lady and SR-71 in Southern California. Cold War presidents, stalwarts Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, both hailed from the Golden State. Billionaire Howard Hughes, who made his mark in aviation and the movies, provided cover for the Glomar Explorer mission to recover a sunken Soviet submarine in the Pacific.
Hollywood was a two-sided coin, supporting both pro-American movie messaging and becoming a flash point for government investigations into Communist sympathies.
About the Author:
Francis Gary Powers Jr. is the founder and chairman emeritus of the Cold War Museum. As chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Cold War Theme Study, he worked with the National Park Service and leading Cold War experts to identify historic Cold War sites for commemoration, interpretation, and preservation. He served as a consultant to Steven Spielberg’s Cold War thriller Bridge of Spies. Visit www.GaryPowers.com for more information.
The Spy Museum does not endorse, approve, or support the opinions stated by guest speakers. Statements made by speakers do not represent the position or opinion of the International Spy Museum.