Mike Evans' lavishly illustrated book The Beats is a spectacular record of the explosive period that bore the Beat generation—when the conservative blandness of '50s America gave way to the artistic, social, and sexual liberation of the '60s. With over 200 illustrations, many rarely seen before, the book tells the story of the Beat generation, against the backdrop of seedy student pads, smoky jazz cellars, and—most crucially—the open road. Featuring a wealth of first-hand quotes, archive documentation, and exclusive interview material with Beat wife, muse, and chronicler Carolyn Cassady, The Beats is a timely celebration of a seminal era in modern popular culture.