Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945 (Oxford History of the United States)

Between 1929 and 1945, two great travails were visited upon the American people: the Great Depression and World War II. This book tells the story of how Americans endured, and eventually prevailed, in the face of those unprecedented calamities. The Depression was both a disaster and an opportunity. As David Kennedy vividly demonstrates, the economic crisis of the 1930s was far more than a simple reaction to the alleged excesses of the 1920s. For more than a century before 1929, America's unbridled industrial revolution had gyrated through repeated boom and bust cycles, wastefully consuming capital and inflicting untold misery on city and countryside alike. Freedom From Fear explores how the nation agonized over its role in World War II, how it fought the war, why the United States won, and why the consequences of victory were sometimes sweet, sometimes ironic. In a compelling narrative, Kennedy analyzes the determinants of American strategy, the painful choices faced by commanders and statesmen, and the agonies inflicted on the millions of ordinary Americans who were compelled to swallow their fears and face battle as best they could. Both comprehensive and colorful, this account of the most convulsive period in American history, excepting only the Civil War, reveals a period that formed the crucible in which modern America was formed. The Oxford History of the United States The Atlantic Monthly has praised The Oxford History of the United States as'the most distinguished series in American historical scholarship,'a series that'synthesizes a generation's worth of historical inquiry and knowledge into one literally state-of-the-art book. Who touches these books touches a profession.'Conceived under the general editorship of one of the leading American historians of our time, C. Vann Woodward, The Oxford History of the United States blends social, political, economic, cultural, diplomatic, and military history into coherent and vividly written narrative. Previous volumes are Robert Middlekauff's The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution; James M. McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (which won a Pulitzer Prize and was a New York Times Best Seller); and James T. Patterson's Grand Expectations: The United States 1945-1974 (which won a Bancroft Prize). Between 1929 And 1945, Two Great Travails Were Visited Upon The American People: The Great Depression And World War Ii. In A Single Volume The Author Tells How America Endured, And Eventually Prevailed, In The Face Of Those Unprecedented Calamities. He Demonstrates That The Economic Crisis Of The 1930s Was More Than A Reaction To The Excesses Of The 1920s. For More Than A Century Before The Crash, America's Unbridled Industrial Revolution Had Gyrated Through Repeated Boom And Bust Cycles, Consuming Capital And Inflicting Misery On City And Countryside Alike. Nor Was The Alleged Prosperity Of The 1920s As Uniformly Shared As Legend Portrays. Countless Americans Eked Out Threadbare Lives On The Margins Of National Life. Roosevelt's New Deal Wrenched Opportunity From The Trauma Of The 1930s And Created A Lasting Legacy Of Economic And Social Reform, But It Was Afflicted With Shortcomings And Contradictions As Well.^ The Author Details The New Deal's Problems And Defeats, As Well As Its Achievements. Yet, Even As The New Deal Was Coping With The Depression, A New Menace Was Developing Abroad. Exploiting Germany's Own Economic Burdens, Hitler Reached Out The Disaffected, Turning Their Aimless Discontent Into Loyal Support For The Nazi Party. In Asia, Japan Harbored Imperial Ambitions Of Its Own. The Same Generation Of Americans Who Battled The Depression Eventually Had To Shoulder Arms In Another Conflict That Wreaked Worldwide Destruction, Ushered In The Nuclear Age, And Forever Changed Their Way Of Life And Their Country's Relationship To The Rest Of The World. In The Second Installment Of The Chronicle, The Author Explains How The Nation Agonized Over Its Role In The Conflict, How It Fought The War, And Why The U.s. Emerged Victorious, And Why The Consequences Of Victory Were Sometimes Sweet, Sometimes Ironic.^ The Author Analyses The Determinants Of American Strategy, The Painful Choices Faced By Commanders And Statesmen, And The Agonies Inflicted On The Millions Of Ordinary Americans Who Were Compelled To Swallow Their Fears And Face Battle As Best They Could. The American People On The Eve Of The Great Depression -- Panic -- The Ordeal Of Herbert Hoover -- Interregnum -- The Hundred Days -- The Ordeal Of The American People -- Chasing The Phantom Of Recovery -- The Rumble Of Discontent -- A Season For Reform -- Strike! -- The Ordeal Of Franklin Roosevelt -- What The New Deal Did -- The Gathering Storm -- The Agony Of Neutrality -- To The Brink -- War In The Pacific -- Unready Ally, Uneasy Alliance -- The War Of Machines -- The Struggle For A Second Front -- The Battle For Northwest Europe -- The Cauldron Of The Home Front -- Endgame -- The World The War Made. David M. Kennedy. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [856]-871) And Index. Between 1929 and 1945, two great travails were visited upon the American people: the Great Depression and World War II. Freedom from Fear tells the story of how Americans endured, and eventually prevailed, in the face of those unprecedented calamities. David M. Kennedy demonstrates that the economic crisis of the 1930s was more than a reaction to the excesses of the 1920s. For more than a century before the Crash, America's unbridled industrial revolution had gyrated through repeated boom and bust cycles, consuming capital and inflicting misery on city and countryside alike. Nor was the alleged prosperity of the 1920s as uniformly shared as legend portrays. Countless Americans eked out threadbare lives on the margins of national life. Roosevelt's New Deal wrenched opportunity from the trauma of the 1930s and created a lasting legacy of economic and social reform, but it was afflicted with shortcomings and contradictions as well. Kennedy details the New Deal's problems and defeats, as well as its achievements. Yet, even as the New Deal was coping with the Depression, a new menace was developing abroad. Exploiting Germany's own economic burdens, Hitler reached out the disaffected, turning their aimless discontent into loyal support for the Nazi Party. In Asia, Japan harbored imperial ambitions of its own. The same generation of Americans who battled the Depression eventually had to shoulder arms in another conflict that wreaked worldwide destruction, ushered in the nuclear age, and forever changed their way of life and their country's relationship to the rest of the world. In the second installment of the chronicle, the author explains how the nation agonized over its role in the conflict, how it fought the war, and why the U.S. emerged victorious, and why the consequences of victory were sometimes sweet, sometimes ironic. David M. Kennedy analyses the determinants of American strategy, the painful choices faced by commanders and statesmen, and the agonies inflicted on the millions of ordinary Americans who were compelled to swallow their fears and face battle as best they could. - Publisher. The American People on the Eve of the Great Depression -- Panic -- The Ordeal of Herbert Hoover -- Interregnum -- The Hundred Days -- The Ordeal of the American People -- Chasing the Phantom of Recovery -- The Rumble of Discontent -- A Season for Reform -- Strike! -- The Ordeal of Franklin Roosevelt -- What the New Deal Did -- The Gathering Storm -- The Agony of Neutrality -- To the Brink -- War in the Pacific -- Unready Ally, Uneasy Alliance -- The War of Machines -- The Struggle for the Second Front -- Battle for Northwest Europe -- The Cauldron of the Home Front -- Endgame -- Epilogue: The World The War Made. Studies the effects of the Great Depression and World War II on American society, discussing the economic crisis of the 1930s, the effect of the Depression on cities and rural communities, and the social and economic reforms brought about by the New Deal; and argues that the country was saved by entering the war Like an earthquake, the stock market crash of October 1929 cracked startlingly across the United States, the herald of a crisis that was to shake the American way of life to its foundations.