Two hundred entries explore the entertainments, amusements, and people of the United States during the difficult years of the 1930s.
List of Entries Guide to Related Topics Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Introduction The Encyclopedia Bibliography Index
William H. Young is a freelance writer and independent scholar. He retired in 2000 after 36 years from Lynchburg College where he taught American Studies and popular culture. Young has published books and articles on various aspects of popular culture, including three Greenwood volumes co-written with his wife, Nancy K. Young. Nancy K. Young is a researcher and independent scholar. She retired in 2005 after 26 years from a career in management consulting. With her husband, William H. Young, she has co-written three recent Greenwood titles, The 1930s, The 1950s, and Music of the Great Depression.
The 200 entries of this two-volume encyclopedia provide a window
into the popular culture of the United States during the Great
Depression. Broadly speaking, the cross-referenced entries discuss
art, architecture, aviation, comic books and strips, expositions
and fairs, fads and games, food and drink, government and culture,
literature, magazines, musicians and other individuals, newspapers,
radio, social issues, sports, theater, travel, and youth culture.
Examples of individual topics explored by the two-to-three page
entries include Amos 'n' Andy, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers,
automobiles, contract bridge, Walt Disney, Flash Gordon, Judy
Garland, Edward Hopper, Leisure and Recreation, the Lindbergh
Kidnapping, the Marx Brothers, miniature golf, pulp magazines, Paul
Robeson, Frank Sinatra, stamp collecting, Walter Winchell, and
Frank Lloyd Wright. Each entry concludes with a guide to selected
readings.
*Reference & Research Book News*
This new encyclopedia treats cultural phenomena with an emphasis on
the impact of the mass media, especially radio and the movies. Even
when discussing political events or personalities, that emphasis is
maintained. This reviewer, who grew up in the l930s, doesn't know
of another work on that period which provides information on such a
wide range of topics (some 200), ranging from the trivial, such as
Miniature Golf, to the socially, politically, even historically
significant, e.g., Race Relations and Stereotyping. The usefulness
of the work is enhanced by its readability, by a thorough index, by
cross-references between topics, by brief bibliographies after each
topic (mostly three or four items), and by an unusual but helpful
practice--particularly for a work about the 1930s--that notes
modern equivalents whenever a monetary figure is cited….[t]his
two-volume set certainly will be useful for students seeking
information about aspects of life in the US during the Depression
period. Recommended. Lower-/upper-level undergraduates and general
readers.
*Choice*
Each volume begins with an Alphabetical List of Entries, followed
by an uncommon Guide to Related Topics, which groups the list of
entries by subject area. There are several features worth noting,
such as the Depression-era prices followed by their bloated
modern-day equivalents. Graphs and tables are found throughout. Not
just attractive sidebars, these tables are well thought out,
original, and fascinating to browsers. In the entry for candy, for
example, an unexpected table lists specific brands, their
manufacturers, and years introduced, while another table for
leisure & recreation indicates the numbers of different
recreational areas (softball diamonds vs. baseball diamonds vs.
bathing beaches, etc.) available by year. Keep in mind the
popular-culture focus, for the content here does differ from what
might be anticipated in a more traditional encyclopedia of the
Great Depression….[t]his comprehensive, unusual set will
accommodate larger public libraries and libraries invested in
popular culture or social economics with its gems of information;
recommended.
*Library Journal*
This is a worthy first source for anyone middle school age and
higher doing research. The writing is clear and informative. The
entries provide quality depth and range without trying to include
every little detail. The many tables and charts of the collection
are an excellent addition and illustrate a variety of
information….This encyclopedia would be a good addition to any
history reference collection.
*American Reference Books Annual*
This new encyclopedia is intended to fill an important niche as a
comprehensive overview of the culture of the United States during
the Great Depression. The set features a broad range of topics
arranged alphabetically in well-written articles. The Guide to
Related Topics thematically groups topics and would be useful for
students attempting to narrow a broad subject field.
*Library Media Connection*
[T]his is a fun, informative, and exuberant look at the America of
the 1930s. It clearly delights in informing the reader of the
joyful aspects of what was a dark time in U.S. history. The subject
matter should appeal to a wide audience; the stated targets for
this encyclopedia are high-school as well as college students.
Complements historical treatments by focusing on pop-culture
aspects of the great depression.
*Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin*
The Great Depression in America is a marvellous resource for
students and others studying this interesting period of American
history, particularly where there is a need to try and look at how
individuals were affected at the time, or to try and visualise and
experience their lives, including their social activities and
interests. The book is absolutely brimming over with facts, and yet
it is written in a pleasing and interesting style. It is neither
totally academic in approach nor is it populist - it is an
excellent read, the epitome of the hard to put down book.
*Reference Reviews*
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