Golden Age Culture

[poetman]

I'm looking for a book about the culture of the 30's and 40's--the way of life with newspapers, railways, cars, and the implications for culture and identity--a kind of cultural history. Any suggestions?

 

[GHT]

Try Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Culture-1930s-Twentieth-Century/dp/0748622594
http://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Culture-1940s-Twentieth-Century/dp/0748624139

 

[Stanley Doble]

I don't think there is any one book that can do the subject justice. Did you have a particular country in mind?

The first book that comes to mind is The Great Gatsby. It is set in a specific time, the summer of 1921. It incorporates a lot of what you are asking for culturally, directly and indirectly. A snapshot of the early years of Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties before the big boom, the bust, and the depression.

A very different book is McSorley's Wonderful Saloon by Joseph Mitchell. It is a collection of pieces he did for The New Yorker in the 30s, mainly concerned with individuals in the lower levels of society with a lot of the cultural feel of the times.

 

[poetman]

Thanks for the Mitchell recommendation. I'm looking for a text that details American life, particularly the culture of extravagance---travel, trains, cars, entertainment, radio, newspapers, prize fights, the glamour of the era.

 

[1961MJS]

I'm looking for a book about the culture of the 30's and 40's--the way of life with newspapers, railways, cars, and the implications for culture and identity--a kind of cultural history. Any suggestions?

Hi

I think you have a problem with your timing. The 1930's and 40's weren't much on "the culture of extravagance---travel, trains, cars, entertainment, radio, newspapers, prize fights, the glamour of the era. " The 1920's however was big on that. There was SOME of that, but not a lot.

Most of the stuff on Amazon will be about the depressing part of the depression. You might try biographies of that era's movie stars.

Just my $0.02

 

[LizzieMaine]

Probably the closest thing to what you want is a book called "The Thirties," by the English author Alan Jenkins, published in 1976. Jenkins writes from a position of upper-middle-class privilege, and much of the book reflects his own experiences as a college student during the decade. The perspective is primarily British, but some American topics are touched upon. It's profusely illustrated, and nicely designed, and is probably the closest thing out there to what you're looking for.

Jenkins also wrote similar volumes on the Twenties and the Forties which are along the same lines and are equally good.

The definitive social history of America in the thirties remains "Since Yesterday" by Frederick Lewis Allen, written in 1940. It discusses the whole range of American life during the decade, and is written in a pleasant narrative style. There are a few pictures, but it's not a coffee-table type book.

 

[Futwick]

You'll probably need several such books to really cover it.

 

[Stanley Doble]

If you are serious the best thing you can do is find a second hand book store or big library and look for books written during the time period you are interested in. Magazines and newspapers even better. I've been a history buff for years and the original sources are eye openers. Believe me things were quite different in the past from what most people believe, even authors. It is impossible for your own times not to rub off on you. For a present day author writing about the past this is a drawback, for someone writing in his own time it is an advantage.

 

[Stanley Doble]

You might want to look up anything you can find by Lucius Beebe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Beebe

http://www.dandyism.net/2008/04/20/yes-sir-thats-our-beebe/

 

[MikeKardec]

There was a time life series called This Fabulous Century that had a book for each decade. It sounds exactly like what you are looking for.

America in the Twenties by Perrett is pretty good as is The Dark Valley by Brendon.

The really good question isn't just what to read ... it's where to START!

 

[Stanley Doble]

For those who did have money the depression years were wonderful. You could travel everywhere cheaply, stay in the best hotels and resorts, see all the tourists spots, there was never any crowding and they were always glad to see you.

Everything was cheap especially in Europe but in the US as well. If you saw what some art works and antiques went for you would be stunned. Houses, cars, everything was on the bargain counter if you had the money.