Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s (Harper Perennial Modern Classics)

“A style that is verve itself.” —__New York Times__“A perfectly grand piece of historical record and synthetic journalism.”—__Chicago Daily Tribune__From Frederick Lewis Allen, former editor-in-chief of__Harper’s__magazine, comes a classic history of 1920s America, from the end of World War I to the stock market crash and the beginning of The Great Depression. Originally published in 1931,__Only Yesterday__has an exuberance and proximity to its subject—the Roaring Twenties in all its scandal and glory—that uniquely captures the feel of the era. A history of roaring prosperity—and economic cataclysm: “The one account of America in the 1920s against which all others must be measured” (The Washington Post). Beginning November 11, 1918, when President Woodrow Wilson declared the end of World War I in a letter to the American public, and continuing through his defeat, Prohibition, the Big Red Scare, the rise of women's hemlines, and the stock market crash of 1929, Only Yesterday, published just two years after the crash, chronicles a decade like no other. Allen, who witnessed firsthand the events he describes, immerses you in the era of flappers, speakeasies, and early radio, making you feel like part of history as it unfolds. This bestselling, enduring account brings to life towering historical figures including J. Pierpont Morgan, Henry Ford, Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Al Capone, Babe Ruth, and Jack Dempsey. Allen provides insightful, in-depth analyses of President Warren G. Harding's oil scandal, the growth of the auto industry, the decline of the family farm, and the long bull market of the late twenties. Peppering his narrative with actual stock quotes and breaking financial news, Allen tracks the major economic trends of the decade and explores the underlying causes of the crash. From the trial of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti to the inventions, crazes, and revolutions of the day, this timeless work will continue to be savored for generations to come.

prohibition. Al Capone. The President Harding Scandals. The Revolution Of Manners And Morals, Black Teusday. These Are Only An Inkling Of The Events And Figures Characterizing The Wild, Tumultuous Era That Was The Roaring Twenties. Originally Published In 1931, only Yesterday traces The Rise If Post-world War I Prosperity Up To The Wall Street Crash Of 1929 Against The Colorful Backdrop Of Flappers, Speakeasies, The First Radio, And The Scandalous Rise Of Skirt Hemlines. Hailed As An Instant Classic, This Is Frederick Lewis Allen's Vivid And Definitive Account Of One Of The Twentieth Century's Most Fascinating Decades, Chronicling A Time Of Both Joy And Terror—when Dizzying Highs Were Quickly Succeeded By Heartbreaking Lows.

the Washington Post - Jonathan Yardley

unlike That Other Famous And Mythologized American Decade Of The 20th Century, The '60s, Much Of Which Actually Took Place In The '70s, The '20s Really Were A Self-contained Decade. Yes, They Began With The End Of World War I In 1918 And The Beginning Of Prohibition In 1919, But These Were Preludes, Just As The Slide Into Nationwide Depression In 1930-31 Was An Afterword. Allen Had The Prescience To Understand This Immediately, And The Skill To Synthesize An Immense Amount Of Discrete Material, To Interpret It With Intelligence And Without Sentimentality, And To Write About It With Grace, Fluidity And Wit.

Overview: Prohibition. Al Capone. The President Harding scandals. The revolution of manners and morals, Black Tuesday. These are only an inkling of the events and figures characterizing the wild, tumultuous era that was the Roaring Twenties. Originally published in 1931, Only Yesterday traces the rise of post-World War I prosperity up to the Wall Street crash of 1929 against the colorful backdrop of flappers, speakeasies, the first radio, and the scandalous rise of skirt hemlines. Hailed as an instant classic, this is Frederick Lewis Allen's vivid and definitive account of one of the twentieth century's most fascinating decades, chronicling a time of both joy and terror-when dizzying highs were quickly succeeded by heartbreaking lows “A style that is verve itself.” — New York Times “A perfectly grand piece of historical record and synthetic journalism.” — Chicago Daily Tribune From Frederick Lewis Allen, former editor-in-chief of Harper’s magazine, comes a classic history of 1920s America, from the end of World War I to the stock market crash and the beginning of The Great Depression. Originally published in 1931, Only Yesterday has an exuberance and proximity to its subject—the Roaring Twenties in all its scandal and glory—that uniquely captures the feel of the era. This is an anecdotal account of the stock market in the 1920s, depicting the tide of prosperity following the first World War up to the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the ensuing Depression. The backdrop events to this are included in the story: Al Capone and Prohibition; President Harding's oil scandals; the growth of the automobile industry; the decline of family farming; literature of the time by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Theodore Dreiser; women's fashions; and the work of Sigmund Freud A social history of the United States during the "roaring twenties." Examines American individualism and the decade that they knew Mah Jong and Mencken, Couéism and Coolidge, Listerine and Lindbergh, as well as Capone, Ford, Babe Ruth, the Teapot Dome, and bathtub gin. This is an anecdotal account of the stock market in the 1920s, depicting the tide of prosperity following World War 1 up to the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the ensuing Depression. The backdrop events to this are part of the story, including Al Capone and Prohibition