- ISBN13: 9781566635844
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
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 Kyvig describes everyday life in these decades, when automobiles and home electricity became commonplace, when radio and the movies became broadly popular…. More >>
Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1940: How Americans Lived Through the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression
I wanted a book that give accurate information about life during the 1920’s and 1930’s. This book definitely does that, but I felt like I was back in history class in high school. I found myself skimming over a lot of it because there was so much detailed information. And I hate to sound like a third grader, but I would have liked to have seen more photos. This book is great if you have to give a report or gather historic information, but I found it a bit tedious to read during my lunch hour. Rating: 4 / 5
Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1940, by David E. Kyvig, traces the developments in American culture and lifestyle during this critical period. Using US Census Data, Kyvig calls attention to the demographic changes that occurred over these dynamic twenty years, one of the strong points of this book. Among the technological developments discussed are the automobile, electricity, radio and movies. There are two chapters devoted to the day-to-day aspects of life during that time covering such topics as food, fashion, hygiene, courtship, etc. Kyvig also discusses the impact of the Great Depression, the New Deal and the expanded role of government during that era.
As a former history teacher, this book reminds me strongly of an expanded version of the typical US History chapter covering this time period. It isn’t terribly deep, but does provide a solid overview. It is well-written, easy to read, and is a good starting point for people interested in the time period (or for students who need help for a research paper). Those of us who want more detailed information will need to look elsewhere. Rating: 4 / 5
Combined with the Forgotten Man this is book offers the reasons to fight not to let the American economy fall into the mess of the 30’s and 40’s. Just sitting around waiting to be saved is no answer. Knowledge and then action to prevent the situations described in the book are necessary. Rating: 4 / 5
I could not put this book down…certainly was the cause of a few tired mornings at work for keeping me up too late! It covers all the small details of life that most history books never get into. I was fascinated by all the “mundane” aspects of life that the author does a great job of describing in detail. You really get a good sense of what life was like during this time. I highly recommend it. Rating: 5 / 5
There are many books out there about the Depression years, but they usually only give a VERY brief introduction to the era, then begin more or less in October of 1929, and are mostly historical rather than sociological. This author realized the importance to the reader of understanding the decade leading up to the Crash and the Depression, as well as learning about day-to-day life as it was lived by average Americans in order to reach a full understanding of what America was like during this time. This is EXACTLY the approach I was looking for and I was very pleased, indeed, by this volume. It is well-researched and well-written, and relates information I have had trouble finding elsewhere. I highly recommend it for a broad range of ages. Rating: 4 / 5