Miss America 1945: Bess Myerson and The Year That Changed Our Lives [Abridged, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Susan Dworkin (Author), Adam Grupper (Reader), Bess Myerson (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

A riveting tale of Bess Myerson's life before and during her reign as the only Jewish Miss America. It recalls the post WWII era, a time filled with pride and hope, as well as bigotry and exploitation. Narrated by Bess Myerson herself, along with New York musical star Adam Grupper, with an introduction by TV and theater personality, Hal Linden ("Barney Miller," "The Rothschilds").

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Though a portrait of Myerson, who still has the distinction of being the only Jewish Miss America, this book is also part social history, as it explores the importance of that event, especially in light of the Allied defeat of the Third Reich. In her rise to national recognition, Myerson faced sexism and anti-Semitism but overcame it all. The 1987 text is complemented by numerous monochrome photos.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

Fascinating and thought-provoking! -- The Milwaukee Journal

"This is a fascinating look at 1945, its events, bigotry and lack therof, and how all this affected the lives of Bess Myerson and her family. Myerson, the first and only Jewish Miss America, tells of her nervousness entering the pageant and what happened after she was selected, including her involvement with organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League, which worked to fight prejudice throughout society. Grupper reads the narrative in wonderfually expressive tones. Myerson provides the personal insight and reflection, connecting with the listener and describing her emotions and reactions to events of fifty plus years ago." -- Audiofile

A richly detailed personal story of Myerson's life... -- The Cleveland Plain Dealer

A contribution to the study of social and cultural history in twentieth century America...a superb study of the Miss America Pageant. -- New York State Historical Society

Beautifully crafted and highly entertaining. -- Long Island Jewish World

Susan Dworkin's writing is evocative, colorfully anecdotal and insightful. -- Atlanta Journal Constitution

The story of ... the racial prejudice and unnerving hatred Myerson endured...is especially heart rending. -- Liz Smith, New York Post

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Jewish Contemporary Classics Inc; Unabridged edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893079007
• ISBN-13: 978-1893079007
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,727,027 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A CROWNING SUCCESS. EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, September 29, 2002

By 

Alan W. Petrucelli (THE ENTERTAINMENT REPORT (ALAN W. PETRUCELLI)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson and the Year That Changed Our Lives (Paperback)

There she goes, Miss America. And Bess Myerson was America's first (and still only) Jewish Miss America, an groundbreaking achievement that makes for riveting cultural and social history. This is not a new book --- it is the first paperback edition of Susan Dworkin's landmark collaborative biography that was first published in 1987, and it is still an important one. Dworkin weaves together oral histories, research and commentary to present not only a vivid portrait of pre-feminist America in the '30s and '40s, but one of Jews, of women, of the anti-Semitic riddled Miss America pageant and of Myerson's own life. A crowning success. Still.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superbly produced, highly recommended audiobook., April 4, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miss America 1945: Bess Myerson and The Year That Changed Our Lives (Audio Cassette)

Ably narrated by Bess Myerson and Adam Grupper, Miss America 1945 is Susan Dworkin's engaging rendition of Bess Myerson's memoirs of her self as a naive Jewish girl from the Bronx, a scheming beauty pageant promoter, and rampant anti-Semitism within the context of a national post-war euphoria. What is particularly fascinating is Myerson's candid revelations of what it was like to be the first (and only) Jewish Miss America and her emergent political activism that resulted from her experiences with the beauty pageant. This abridged-by-the-author audiobook edition features flawless production values and has a running time of 5 hours, 10 minutes. Miss America 1945 is an ardently recommended addition to personal and library audiobook collections.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Year Of Change, June 12, 2007

By 

Mark A. Czubek (Marlton,NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson and the Year That Changed Our Lives (Paperback)

I just finished reading the book "Miss America,1945:Bess Myerson and the year that changed our lives" and i tell you it's very thought provoking book about what Bess Myerson went through during her reign as Miss America with all the prejudices that she went through.Although it's set in 1945,It's still holds true today.You can honestly say that from the end of World War 2 up to the late 1940's was an important period of change in America where a Jewish girl from the Bronx achieved the dream of every girl who wanted to win the crown of Miss America and two years later Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.Over all it's a great book and it's something that everyone must have for their book collection.