The twenties and thirties witnessed dramatic changes in American life: increasing urbanization, technological innovation, cultural upheaval, and economic disaster. In this fascinating book, the prize-winning historian David E. Kyvig describes everyday life in these decades, when automobiles and home electricity became commonplace, when radio and the movies became broadly popular. The details of work life, domestic life, and leisure activities make engrossing reading and bring the era clearly into focus.
David E. Kyvig is professor of history at Northern Illinois University. He has written a number of books in American history, including Explicit and Authentic Acts, which was awarded the Bancroft Prize. He lives in DeKalb, Illinois.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Circumstances of American Life in 1920 Chapter 2: Automobiles and the Construction of Daily Life Chapter 3: Electricity and the Conditions of Daily Life Chapter 4: Radio and the Connecting of Daily Lives Chapter 5: Cinema and the Extension of Experience Chapter 6: Carrying on Day by Day: Life's Basics Chapter 7: Carrying on Year by Year: Making a Life Chapter 8: Conflict, Crime, and Catastrophe: The Disruptions of Daily Life Chapter 9: Culture for the Masses: The Standardizing of Daily Life Chapter 10: Crisis: The Impact of the Great Depression Chapter 11: Creating the New Deal: A Larger Role for Government in Daily Life Chapter 12: Continuity and Change: American Communities at the End of the 1930s For Further Reading
What People are Saying About This
WILLIAM E. LEUCHTENBURG
...A happy marriage of political and social history. PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF HISTORY, UNC CHAPEL HILL
Forbes.com
This enjoyable read brings the period clearly into focus.
Walla Walla Union Bulletin
The details of work life, domestic life, and leisure activities make engrossing reading...on a level we can all understand.
WILLIAM L. O'NEILL
...Essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the origins of contemporary America.
WESLEY G. JOHNSON
...An excellent popular approach to an important subject by a well respected historian. BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
ROGER DANIELS
...An excellent social history which examines how 'ordinary people' reacted to...massive changes. UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI