Only Yesterday: An
Informal History of the 1920s – Frederick Lewis Allen
The title makes sense in light of the fact that Allen
published this in 1931. It has been popular ever since due to its
well-organized coverage of the topics, its engaging mixture of the era’s silly
and serious sides, and the lively fluent writing style. Any reader who want to
improve her cultural literacy will get much out of Allen’s even-handed
examinations of Woodrow Wilson’s tragedy, Harding’s
nature as the empty suit that became president, the years of exuberant Coolidge
prosperity, the revolution in manners and morals, the revolts of the highbrows
such as H.L. Mencken, the crazed bull market and the subsequent crash that
changed everything. Allen’s sense of humor is evident without being cute.
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