Presents an account of the Gospel and blues music of the post-war period (1945-1960). The author studies over 300 songs, many of them rare recordings, from artists including Fats Domino, John Lee Hooker and B B King, and usefully transcribes 123 of them in their entirety.

“The Truman and Eisenhower Blues” is a fascinating and exhaustive account of the Gospel and blues music of the post-war period (1945-1960). Guido van Rijn studies over 300 songs, many of them rare recordings, from artists including Fats Domino, John Lee Hooker and B. B. King, and usefully transcribes 123 of them in their entirety. Tapping sources which have previously been neglected by historians, musicologists and sociologists, he provides an illuminating examination of the themes at the heart of this Cold War music: the re-conversion, the atomic bomb, the Korean War, civil rights, Presidential elections, the economy and the space race. “The Truman and Eisenhower Blues” gives blues and Gospel fans a unique chance to understand what the artists were really singing about in their classic recordings from the late forties and fifties. This is a companion volume to the author's award-winning book “Roosevelt's Blues” (1997).

Review
"'There are only 11 documented blues and gospel recordings from the Truman period that deal with civil rights, and Van Rijn has tracked them all down. The book's second labour is the author's painstaking materialist focus on transcribing the lyrics and tracking down the exact references in these highly elusive song forms.' - The Wire, January 2004 'Many of the lyrics are startling in their poetical insight and drama...Sharply original and inspiring - history through the blues and it makes for an exciting and provocative way to learn it.' - Morning Star, May 2004 'One gets the sense that Van Rijn had a ball writing the book, or maybe he's one of those rare good writers obsessed by detail.... This is a book much larger than its ostensible subject matter, though that is so very enjoyable. As such, it rates shelf space in the libraries of readers fascinated by American and African American history, civil rights, and even topical song writing! Definitely recommended.' - Sing Out! Winter 2005 'Copious footnotes, photographs, and political cartoons enhance this slim, yet remarkable sequel. Highly recommended.' - Choice, January 2005"

Guido van Rijn teaches English at Kennemer Lyceum in Overveen, the Netherlands. He is a widely published writer and music journalist, has run his own record label, Angram Blues, and is co-founder of the Netherlands Blues and Boogie Organisation.