About the Author

Roland Marchand (1933-1997) was Professor of History at the University of California, Davis, and authored numerous works on American cultural history.

Reviews

"This gracefully written and beautifully illustrated book skillfully explores the complex relationships between advertising and American life in the interwar years."
*American Historical Review*

"The most thorough treatment of any segment of advertising's history."
*American Journal of Sociology*

"Roland Marchand has examined 180,000 advertisements from newspapers and magazines of the 1920s and 1930s. . . . [And, he's] survived with his critical faculties in fine order. HIs book is a magisterial and convincing study of what he found."
*Business History Review*

"Contributes significantly to a growing body of literature that has established the credibility of a 'consumption ethic,' and confirmed advertising to be a central institution in American culture."
*American Journalism*

"For persons who read historical materials only very rarely, this book is the one to read this decade for both pleasure and valuable insights. Well conceived and executed . . . this excellent work is relevant to a much wider audience than its title might suggest."
*Journal of Marketing*