Only Yesterday (Paperback) - Softcover

Allen, Frederick Lewis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1849029512 ISBN 13: 9781849029513

Publisher: Benediction Books, 2009

Synopsis

[MP3CD audiobook format in vinyl case.]

[Read by Grover Gardner]

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 a 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.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Originally published in 1931, soon after the era ended, this preprinted edition is still considered a classical account of the 1920s. Beginning with the end of World War I (November 11, 1918) on through to the stock market crash on November 12, 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression, the author provides a well-written history of the times. Some of the events of the day included are: Al Capone and Prohibition, scandals surrounding then president Harding, growth of the automobile industry, the first radio, and the "scandalous" rise of skirt hemlines.

From the Back Cover:

Only Yesterday

Hailed as a classic even when it was first published in 1931, Only Yesterday remains one of the most vivid and precise accounts of the volatile stock market and the heady boom years of the 1920's. A vibrant social history that is unparalleled in scope and accuracy, it artfully depicts the rise of post - World War I prosperity, the catalytic incidents that led to the Crash of 1929, and the devastating economic decline that ensued—all set before a colorful backdrop of flappers, Al Capone, the first radio, and the "scandalous" rise of skirt hemlines. Now, this mesmerizing chronicle is reintroduced to offer readers of today an unforgettable look at one of the most dynamic periods of America's past.

With a novelist's eye for detail and a historian's attention to the facts, Frederick Lewis Allen tells a story that will ignite your imagination as its rich pageant of characters and events comes alive. Peppering his narrative with actual stock quotes and financial news, Allen tracks the major economic trends of the decade and explores the underlying causes of the Crash. Here are fresh accounts of Harding's oil scandals and the growth of the automobile industry, as well as the decline of the family farm, the Coolidge prosperity, and the long bull market of the late twenties. Allen's virtual hour-by-hour account of the Crash itself, told from multiple perspectives with mounting suspense, is as gripping as anything you are likely to read in fiction.

In addition to his power as a storyteller, Allen was a living witness to the events he describes; there is a thrilling you-are-there feeling about the unfolding history. After a brief "return to normalcy" following the War, the pace of life in America quickly escalated to a full gallop. New forces were being unleashed: prosperity with serious inflation, larger-than-life figures such as J. Pierpont Morgan and Henry Ford, and the Big Red Scare of the early twenties. Allen documents the new inventions, fads, and scandals as they affected the daily life of the country, including the impact of Freud and Einstein, Prohibition and Al Capone, Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey, the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti, and the shocking changes in manners and morals. In Only Yesterday we hear America talking to itself from coast to coast, furiously debating its own rapidly evolving destiny.

An engaging narrative that describes the harried, often tumultuous events of Wall Street in the twenties, as well as the infectious spirit of the times, Only Yesterday is not only a compelling account of years gone by, but a true classic that will be appreciated for years to come.

"When this fascinating social history of America in the 1920's was first published in 1931, the twenties were indeed Only Yesterday. But, as Mr. Allen makes clear, they were so much more than the clich— would have it. . . . Frederick Allen's marvelous book brings back an exciting time in the life of the nation. I am quite sure you will enjoy reading it as much as Mr. Allen and I enjoyed living it." —from the Foreword by Roy R. Neuberger.

Recognized as a classic even when it was first published in 1931, Only Yesterday is a fascinating and revealing chronicle of the volatile stock market and heady boom years of the 1920's. Written by an esteemed historian who witnessed firsthand the explosive atmosphere and events of the time, this compelling narrative takes its place as one of the most important and invaluable contributions to investment literature.

Acclaim for Only Yesterday

"Marvelously absorbing . . . Only Yesterday tells the story of the 1920's from the collapse of Wilson and the New Freedom to the collapse of Wall Street and the New Era." —Stuart Chase, Books.

"A perfectly grand piece of historical record and synthetic journalism." —Fanny Butcher, Chicago Tribune.

"A style that is verve itself . . . Besides telling the story of the bull market in fine perspective, Mr. Allen presents the first coherent account that we have seen of the oil scandals that will eventually make the Harding regime match that of President Grant and the Crédit Mobilier story in the history books of the future." —John Chamberlain, The New York Times.

About this edition

• Publisher: Benediction Books
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1849029512
• ISBN 13: 9781849029513
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 348