Book Description
The dust storms that terrorized the High Plains in the darkest years of the Depression were like nothing ever seen before or since. Timothy Egan's critically acclaimed account rescues this iconic chapter of American history from the shadows in a tour de force of historical reportage. Following a dozen families and their communities through the rise and fall of the region, Egan tells of their desperate attempts to carry on through blinding black dust blizzards, crop failure, and the death of loved ones. Brilliantly capturing the terrifying drama of catastrophe, Egan does equal justice to the human characters who become his heroes, "the stoic, long-suffering men and women whose lives he opens up with urgency and respect" (New York Times). In an era that promises ever-greater natural disasters, "The Worst Hard Time" is "arguably the best nonfiction book yet" (Austin Statesman Journal) on the greatest environmental disaster ever to be visited upon our land and a powerful cautionary tale about the dangers of trifling with nature.
Customer Reviews:
It's Good --- but is it National-Book-Award good?.......2007-10-16
I liked this book. For the most part.
It's an exciting account of an amazing and horrific time in the nation's history, and its descriptions of the dust storms as they came in over the prairies are absolutely terrifying--but I think it's far from the great book that it could have been.
The story, of course, is one of the great stories of American history, and will no doubt enthrall any readers unfamiliar with the 1930s Dust Bowl. But the book fails, I think, in bringing across the full scope of it all, focusing so intently on handful of towns and counties (and always forgetting to remind us what states these towns are in) that it feels like more like a gathering of a number of isolated occurrences. It also fails to provide all the facts that the story begs to contain. And it kind of peters off toward the end, as if the author just grew tired of the subject.
Is this a good book? Sure. I enjoyed it. But would I have given it the National Book Award? No. And is it the best book on the subject? No, again. I prefer the book "Dust Bowl," by Donald Worster, which I found to be much more thorough and vivid in its treatment of the subject.
Outstanding.......2007-10-10
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
This is an outstanding book! I had no idea how bad the Dust Bowl was. I was so impressed with the book that I bought a copy for each of my 3 siblings.
Unbelievable!.......2007-10-03
This book was fantastic. Although the majority of books I read are fiction, I'm not hesitant to read good non-fiction. This book was so well written that it reads like a taut novel. Along with Seabiscuit and The Devil in the White City, it is one of the best historical books I've read. Very well researched and thought out. You almost can't believe that this could have actually happened. You feel like you know the characters, and you certainly root for them even though you seemingly know how it will turn out. I would recommend this book to any avid reader - fiction or non-fiction.
Hopefully, we will learn from our past.......2007-10-02
This is an important event in US history that is so relevant today, supplying more fuel for both side of the ongoing debate on global warming.
I found it a bit difficult to stay connected to the characters. In spite of that, the story remained interesting, showing the plight and hardships endured by the generation before us, and bringing us an awareness of our fragile ecosystem.
Eye Opening and Hard to Put Down.......2007-09-25
A must read for history buffs and readers in general. Information places the midwest, its people, and past in an entirely different light of appreciation. (Absolutely Facinating)!
Book Description
The definitive and rollicking story of one of the best, and one of the wackiest, teams of all time, during one of the most vital eras in baseball.
With The Gashouse Gang, John Heidenry delivers the definitive account of one the greatest and most colorful baseball teams of all times, the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals, filled with larger-than-life baseball personalities like Branch Rickey, Leo Durocher, Pepper Martin, Casey Stengel, Satchel Paige, Frankie Frisch, and--especially--the eccentric good ol' boy and great pitcher Dizzy Dean and his brother Paul.
The year 1934 marked the lowest point of the Great Depression, when the U.S. went off the gold standard, banks collapsed by the score, and millions of Americans were out of work. Epic baseball feats offered welcome relief from the hardships of daily life. The Gashouse Gang, the brilliant culmination of a dream by its general manager, Branch Rickey, the first to envision a farm system that would acquire and "educate" young players in the art of baseball, was adored by the nation, who saw itself--scruffy, proud, and unbeatable--in the Gang.
Based on original research and told in entertaining narrative style, The Gashouse Gang brings a bygone era and a cast full of vivid personalities to life and unearths a treasure trove of baseball lore that will delight any fan of the great American pastime.
Customer Reviews:
Baseball lover's only!.......2007-09-23
Baseball in times long passed was a very different game, but like today there were some really wild characters to mke the game all the more interesting. The 1934 Cardinals, "The Gashouse Gang" were an exciting, odd collection of great ball payers who played for the love of the game in a way we wish today's players did.
If you love baseball you won't be able to put this down, and even if you don't it will be too intriquing to stop reading once you start. Well written, well researched and as entertaining as anything I've read this season. Highly reccommended!
The Gashouse Gang Personalities.......2007-09-15
This book climbs to the top wrung of my baseball ladder. Rather than a statistical or play-by-play book so common in baseball pages, this features personality development of some of the wackiest players of all time. Learn that Ducky Joe should have been Mean Joe, that Leo the Lip couldn't handle relationships, or that Dizzy Dean was really Jerome or Jay or Hanna or Herman, maybe that he was from Arkansas or Oklahoma or Texas -- well, you get it.
This book captures the thrill of a season and the joy of a team effort. It really makes you think of the Oakland Athletics of the Catfish days.
Just one observation: John Heidenry missed the point of the moniker, "Gashouse Gang." He can't figure out where it came from. He even ponders how "Gas Tank" became "Gashouse." During that day, electricity was provided by manufactured gas plants, sometimes called "witch's brew." The main structure was known as the "gashouse." The working class fellows who toiled away in those dirty gashouses were known as "the gashouse gangs." They cursed, they played dirty and hilarious tricks on each other, they had great and sour dispositions -- necessary to get through the tough days, and yes, their clothes were always filthy. Sound like the beloved Gashouse Gang?
Snag this book, and you will enjoy several hours of quiet time, if you can block out your own laughter.
Me 'n' Paul.......2007-09-02
In baseball, 1934 was a year to remember, a year in which the Saint Louis Cardinals, a scruffy team of misfits and malcontents, came from almost the graveyard to win the National League pennant, and then the World Series. While we learn a tremendous amount about the Cardinals, and especially the Dean brothers, Dizzy and Paul, there are others about whom we receive thumbnail biographies. Most importantly, Branch Rickey is focused upon for much of the early part of the book, and just reading about this remarkable man is sufficient reason to study this book. Other famous players make cameo appearances: Babe Ruth, Mel Otto, Mickey Cochrane, Leo Durocher, and Pie Traynor, with whom I was once priviledged to have an extensive conversation about baseball when I was in college. I also remember listening to Dizzy on the television announcing(?) games and talking about all kinds of extraneous subjects other than the game he was supposed to be calling. Of course, Dizzy is the centerpiece of this book, and he strides through it like a colossus. He did things then that would not be tolerated by a basseball organization today, and perhaps we are the pooorer for not having men such as him (and Curt Flood)to challenge what is considered the "right" way to act as a porfessional ball player. He's gone, and so are all of those famous old-timers, and the world misses them!
Great Father's Day gift.......2007-07-12
I gave this book to my 60 year old father for Father's Day. He hasn't read a book in years but is a huge baseball fan. He loved the book and stayed up late into the night reading it. Great for a Cardinals or baseball fan!
RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "73 YEARS AFTER WINNING THE WORLD SERIES "THE GASHOUSE GANG" ST LOUIS CARDINALS HAVE A BOOK!".......2007-06-13
Before I give you the details of this book, let me save some people their valuable time, by telling you who this book would appeal to! Old School Baseball fanatics, "Baseball Historians", Saint Louis Cardinal fans. If you think the designated hitter rule is good for baseball this book isn't for you.
73 years after the famous (To the above listed people.) Saint Louis Cardinals, hereafter known as "The Gashouse Gang", won the World Series, they have had an excellent book released on their exploits and accomplishments. As a self-acclaimed baseball fanatic, some of the statistics, and idiosyncrasies, I discovered in this book about famous old time players that I already knew about, were both interesting and amusing. The author's writing style is not anything you'll remember as out of the ordinary, since so much of the meat of the book, you can tell is repeated from old newspaper articles. But the detailed, meticulous, research should be applauded. As I've mentioned in my earlier reviews, I've read literally hundreds of baseball books, and memorized half the "Encyclopedia Of Baseball" when I was 10 years old, yet I learned even more details and amusing personality "quirks" of some of the old-time stars. I of course already knew that Dizzy Dean was a great pitcher, in the Hall Of Fame, and the last National League pitcher to win 30 games. What I didn't know, but learned here, was the absolute bottom of the barrel poverty he came from in the historically famous "dust bowl"! I knew he was a "wacky" character, but I didn't know, it went to the extent of him literally being the Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali, of the baseball world in the 1930's, before there was an Ali. I didn't know that Dizzy held out and boycotted games, in a demand for an increased contract, in the middle of the season. I also got to learn much more about the great Ducky Medwick, (The last National League Player to win the Triple Crown 70 years ago.) who was one of my dear departed Mother's favorite players, when he later played on the Brooklyn Dodgers. I never knew he was such a New Jersey, street fighting, chip on the shoulder, ready to fight anyone, including his own teammates, type of guy! I learned more than I ever had known about what led up to one of the biggest name trades in baseball history, Rogers Hornsby for Frankie Frisch. The detailed background on Branch Rickey, before his famous relationship with Jackie Robinson, was also expertly detailed. The almost blow by blow reporting on the 1934 World Series between the Gashouse Gang and the star studded Detroit Tigers makes you feel like you were there. I could go on and on, but like I said in my opening sentences, these facts, that are exciting and educational to me, would only be exciting to the type of people I described in my opening.
Product Description
Book Description The Great Bust Ahead is a concise, straight to the point book laying out in stark terms the case for a coming depression of historically unprecedented magnitude. It will be worse than the 1930s, beginning perhaps as early as 2009-2010, and last up to thirteen years. Centered on hard fact demographics, the book boldly claims that the data presented are so irrefutable, that the outcome predicted by the book is equally as irrefutable. The compelling proof presented accurately accounts for the detailed trend of the economy from 1920 to today (something never before accomplished), and projects out to 2030 in detail. The book is very easy to read and understand, and requires no prior knowledge of economics. Down to earth things the average person can do to prepare for what is coming are covered. A summary of the catastrophic domestic social and international consequences is offered.
October 2007 Update: In 2002 when this book was published, in addition to the massive depression beginning around the end of the decade, it forecast:
1. The economy, as reflected by the DJIA, would resume its upwards march in late 2002 or 2003.
This is exactly what happened.
2. The DJIA would have a snap-back to 13,000 to 14,000 and the FTSE to 6,000 to 7,000 by 2004, but delayed possibly by wars/politics/terrorism/scandals.
This is exactly what has happened. Although the full snap-back has been delayed for the reasons described, the DJIA has now closed over 14,100 and the FTSE over 6,700.
3. The DJIA returns from 2003 to 2012 would average a historically long-term normal of 7% to 8%. So far, with the delayed full snap-back, DJIA actual returns have averaged a more modest 5.8%, as would be expected.
4. Interest rates would increase from 2003 onwards.
This is exactly what has happened.
Customer Reviews:
It is just an indicator!.......2007-09-12
Everyone is forgetting that the book is talking about a correlated indicator for the DJIA. There are many things that drive an economy and make things happen like the weakening dollar, monstrous deficits, the Federal Reserve, cheap credit and the housing market bubble, peak oil, etc. These are some of the things that move the DJIA, NOT just demographics. The fact that the 45-54 age group correlates to the DJIA is very interesting and CAN be used to predict what MAY happen to the DJIA in the long term. Demographics of the 45-54 age groups are a strong force pushing the markets, but not the only thing. Even the author says that some things like "the New Deal, the pill and the NASDAQ" affect the correlation with this indicator. The politicians and Wall Street are not going to lie down and let this monstrous depression happen without a fight. They my not win the War, but where the DJIA goes in the future has not been case in stone. The future highs and lows of the DJIA are still unpredictable.
The book is a high school treatise on this relationship and to the economically ignorant is a real eye opener. Most economists know about this force, but the key is what to do about it and when. The author's advice to get out of the markets by 2010 is silly at best. We are now in September of 2007 and the housing market bubble burst is probably the beginning of the down turn of the markets. Wait until 2010 to protect your assets and you will far less assets to protect. The author's advice to sell your home and rent and plow your money into bonds is simplistic at best. Investing in gold, foreign currencies, TIPS etc. to protect your assets are other stratigies that are not addressed. We are all speeding towards this economic depression, but the answers to when it will happen and what to do about protecting your assets is NOT even close to being addressed by this book. The book is $8.95 and you get what you pay for, "a wakeup call for the economically ignorant". Read the book and move onto a more advanced book for a better in depth discussion on economics and your money like "The Second Great Depression (Paperback) by Warren Brussee (Author)". I do agree that a lot of pain is ahead for the world.
Not Bad But Too Short and Too Extreme.......2007-08-22
Let me start by saying that this is a pretty good book for the price and if you don't know what is going on in the economy. The problem is that the book has very limited data to back up the predictions. If you are going to make huge predictions you had better justify it with a lot of credible data that has been referenced. As well, some of the predictions are just too extreme. However, all of these shortcomings aside, the author provides a nice short treatment on what will most likely occur; just not to the extent he has presented in my opinion. Of course, opinions are like debt in America - everyone has their own!
A much more useful book in my opinion is "Cashing in on the Real Estate Bubble." It not only shows you many different ways to profit from the current bubble collapse, but it also shows a lot of detail about the economy and how to profit from America's overall credit bubble. Cashing in on the Real Estate Bubble
Interesting theory but..........2007-07-09
This book is short and easy to read. The author has an interesting concept that the stock market follows the number of Americans at their peak buying age. His graphs and explanations on modifying factors make everything fit. I agree that some correction of our economy (inflation, recession, or worse) is likely in the future, but I feel other factors (energy issues, our national debt, terrorism, etc.) will come into play that he has not taken into account. I also don't agree with his investment suggestions and feel they may be reckless.
If you're concerned about possible bad times ahead, this is one book that may helpful, but I better liked the reasoning and proposals on what to do in Stephen Leeb's book The Coming Economic Collapse: How You Can Thrive When Oil Costs 200 Dollars a Barrel.
Excellent Read.......2007-05-14
Pros:
1. Brief: to the point, no fluff book(let)
2. Logical: Numbers support theory all along
3. Simple: Easy to understand
4. Value: Could save your shirt
Cons:
1. May sound too negative
2. May not consider all factors into forecasting
Pretty interesting read.......2007-05-12
This book and the argument that it lays out is pretty eye-opening. It shows you, through logical argument, how the demographics of our country will impact our coming future economic health. With these baby-boomers greying and falling from their peak spending years, our country will experience a downshift that will really challenge our concept of prosperity... A must read!
Book Description
Illus. with photographs from the Dust Bowl era. This true story took place at the emergency farm-labor camp immortalized in Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Ostracized as "dumb Okies," the children of Dust Bowl migrant laborers went without school--until Superintendent Leo Hart and 50 Okie kids built their own school in a nearby field.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful and Inspiring.......2007-10-09
This book is a beautiful testiment to the human spirit, and the resilancy of the American spirit.
It is also the story of taking a chance on people that other's find useless.
A beautiful book and a beautiful story.
Connecting Childen to History.......2005-09-09
this book is an excellent companion to the historical ficiton book "Bud, Not Buddy." By reading aloud sections of Children of the Dustbowl, teachers could build some of the background knowledge that would help children understand how the daily lives of the average person changed as a result of the Great Depression and the 5-year drought in the Midwest.
Given the devastation of Hurriicane Katrina, this book also offers insight on what can happen when large numbers of people must migrate because of weather-related disasters.
Children of the Dust Bowl.......2005-09-08
The book appeared to be new, no marks, and sent immediately.
Readable for ages five (with help from parent) and up........2002-04-04
The writing in this book is excellent, flowing evenly from page to page. Many of the photographs within are pure art, having been taken by Russell Lee, Dorothea Lange, and others. These two people are the Pieter Bruegel and Thomas Hart Benton (depicting plain, everyday folk) of American photography. This book relates a small chunk of American history, to be sure, but more than that, it relates universal themes of the human condition. Overall, the book relates the brutal conditions of the dust bowl, the migration over the mountains and desert, taunting and prejudice from settled Californians, and eventual attainment of excellence, as revealed by the construction and maintenance of the Weedpatch School, which eventually became a model school in the community. My 5 1/2 year old enjoyed reading every page, and found particular mirth in the unusual daily chore that the dust bowl children did with their cows. The description of this unusual chore is worth the price of the book. What was this daily chore? One way to find out is to borrow or purchase this book.
Children of the Dust Bowl.......2000-07-26
I am a student at St. Lawrence University, and doing a summer fellowship about the works of John Steinbeck. This book, while written as a children's book, is a valuable look at the Arvin Federal Emergency School, the conditions of the Dust Bowl, American attitudes about the poor, and Leo Hart, the man whose vision for a "broader curriculum" among his students was so influential and inspiring.
Stanley treats the same material in short form in an article in The American West (1986).
Product Description
By the early 90s, a raging bull market was delivering spectacular returns, causing some to believe that a market collapse and subsequent depression would soon appear. As a result of these fears, some exited the capital markets altogether. Thereafter, the Internet took off causing the market bubble to swell, many high-tech stocks with seemingly limitless valuations. Over the course of its 13-year stretch, the market appreciated by over 600 percent, with average annual returns in excess of 18 percent. And we all remember what happened at the start of the new millennium. Even after the deflation of the Internet bubble, cautious investors who pulled out of the market a decade earlier missed out on spectacular returns since then. Many investors who entered the market near its peak suffered devastating losses. But most who remained invested since the early 90s are still much better off today. While this correction revealed the most recent illusions embedded within the economy, it s only a small part of what will be a larger correction in the coming years. Despite the scandals in corporate America and Wall Street, many investors fail to recognize that the post-bubble period is quite different from the Bull Run in the 90s. But today, the capital markets have been realigned with authenticity, and economics now control the investment cycle rather than hype generated by Wall Street. Accordingly, Wall Street and the U.S. Government can only hide the realities of America s decline for so long. Unfortunately, America entered the free trade paradigm as a losing participant from the start. While America remains as the centerpiece for the global economy, it relies on record debt to maintain its status as the world s strongest consumer marketplace. But this cannot last much longer. America s vulnerable role in the new economy threatens to erode the strength of its empire. Already, America has witnessed a gradual disappearance of its core citizens; the middle class. As well, poverty continues to grow while America s wealthiest quintile increases their wealth. These trends have been masked by record levels of credit-based spending and manipulation of economic data. For over two decades, several nations have benefited at the expense of America s job base and living standards. This led to a long period of excessive consumption relative to productivity. When the economic boom from the post-war period began to lose steam in the 60s, consumption began to exceed productivity, as Americans refused to acknowledge a decline in living standards. Up until the 70s, America fueled this consumption-production disparity using the surplus wealth generated during the post-war boom. During the 80s, America s growing consumption was compounded by massive government spending and a devastating oil crisis. Shortly thereafter, the consumer credit industry grew to meet the demands of a nation experiencing large productivity deficits. And today, America is vastly different than the post-war period. Rather than increases in net wealth, America s growth over the past two decades has been fueled by credit spending which has created the illusion of impressive productivity, while serving to mask declining living standards. As a consequence of these changes, America s financial industry is now one of its biggest and most profitable. Today, America is more dependent on foreign nations than anytime in its history. Declining oil reserves and a foreign-funded credit bubble have positioned the fate of this nation in the hands of the world. Soon, America will face the economic burden of 76 million aging boomers. Beginning in 2011, mandatory expenditures for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will start to grow rapidly. By 2025, these expenses will have swelled to unthinkable levels.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent presentation of data, some mistakes.......2007-10-11
The author did an excellent job compiling data that is extremely important to understand if one is to thrive in America in the next 2 decades. There will no doubt be sweeping changes to rectify our current account deficit and aging boomer population. The author shed light on the politics behind Greenspan & Co's delay when our country needs to address these problems now. Other topics include: the .com bubble, real estate / credit bubble, free trade, health care, social security, energy crisis, and education.
Yes there are typos and some minor implications that are incorrect, but I don't believe they affect the overall concepts presented. I have also read "The Dollar Crisis" and find both books to be honest presentations of America's current economic state. I would have enjoyed even more information on developing nations, but the title of the book focuses on America, so be it. Overall, I felt this book was an excellent read that is neither conservative nor extreme but simply a presentation of data and well-thought hypothetical analysis of what is to come for America. Only the typos keep it from getting 5 stars.
Riddled with inaccuracies.......2007-07-30
This book manages to cover all major problems faced by the United States in the next 20-30 years - trade deficit, healthcare crisis, education crisis, etc. - and it does so in a fairly comprehensive way, with large numbers of facts and graphs.
The reason why I can't give it more than 3 stars for this achievement is that the number of mistakes it contains (from misspellings to factual errors) is absolutely incredible. It seems that no one (other than the author) so much as read the book before it went to the printing press.
First of all, there are spelling errors. English is not my native language, yet I've been able to notice one spelling error every 20-30 pages. "Notices in-lue of gold" (p.2). "Right to bare arms" (p.25). "America will loose its technology edge" (p.61), and so on. There are factual errors as well. According to the author, Statue of Liberty was erected on Ellis Island (p.27), Berlin Wall fell "a few years" after 1991 (p.10), and Albert Einstein immigrated into the United States in 1940. He thinks that women who give birth after entering the United States illegally are guaranteed citizenship because their newborns become U.S. citizens (p.32) - but he either does not know or fails to mention that they have to wait for their child to turn 18 before they even have a shot at legalization. He frequently claims (or implies) that Chinese goods are cheaper because Chinese government and Chinese companies do not provide healthcare or retirement benefits to their workers (p.41), when in fact they do. All these problems make me wary of any other claims he makes in his book.
There are many interesting graphs and charts in the book, but at least some of them were "cooked up" by the author from third-party data, so they are not always reliable. One rather puzzling chart is located on p. 113. It is a pie-chart labelled "Factors Driving Rising Costs in Healthcare (2001-2002, in $ billions)". However, pieces of the pie are labelled with percentage values and clearly add up to 100% (e.g. "Increased Consumer Demand, 15%"). Author comments, "Someone explain to me the economics of increased consumer demand leading to a 15% increase in healthcare costs in one year". It's clear that he has no idea what's really shown on the chart.
The book is heavy on portrayal of various weaknesses in modern U.S. economy, but rather light on attempts to predict the future. There is almost no discussion about the impact of American crisis on the rest of the world. Author predicts major revaluation of the dollar, but does not provide any macroeconomic analysis of consequences of this revaluation. He seems to think that collapse will not occur at least until 2012, but he's not very clear why he thinks it won't be triggered by deflation of the real estate bubble.
Overall this is an interesting and comprehensive book that's worth reading for anyone who thinks that U.S. economy is doing well, but it's not scientific or reliable enough to be of real value for an investor.
I recommend "Dollar Crisis" as a complementary treatment of the U.S trade deficit / credit bubble problem.
A chilling but accurate expose of how we came to be in such economic peril as a capitalist nation.......2007-06-10
In writing "America's Financial Apocalypse: How To Profit From The Next Great Depression", the author draws upon his many years of experience and expertise as a business, financial, and investment consultant for two of Wall Street's largest investment firms and elsewhere in private financial markets. Strathis provides an impressively analytical explanation as to how the liberals on the left and the conservatives on the right are working in differing ways to destroy America's fiscal and economic well-being; how the federal government in Washington is dominated by corporations; how China has taken total advantage of America's trading policies to our nation's detriment. Readers will be shocked to learn how America is legally bankrupt; how today the 'American Dream' cannot be achieved by most American citizens; the truth concerning the future of Social Security; the inevitable and looming consequences of the present pension plan crisis; and why most Americans working today will not be able to retire as their parent were able to in the past. "America's Financial Apocalypse" also addresses just how the American government manipulates economic data; how the Bush administration is responsible for the worst economic recovery in American financial history; how the real estate bubble could cause the stock and bond markets to collapse; how America's political and economic fate is in the hands of foreign countries; why the American government is really allied to the Saudi Arabians despite the established identities of the 9/11 attack; the looming global oil crisis; Alan Greenspans dismal performance as a Fed Chairman; the plummeting value of the dollar in the international currency markets; and the continuing rise in value of precious metals and oil. After laying out all of these 'inconvenient truths' about America's economic future, Strathis also lays out how the wise and savvy investor can still profit from an inevitable depression that will collapse America's economy in the very near future. A chilling but accurate expose of how we came to be in such economic peril as a capitalist nation, "America's Financial Apocalypse" is especially recommended reading for its clear and methodical explanation of just how the individual investor can survive what will prove to be the 'Next Great Depression'.
This Book Has NO Comparable!.......2007-04-05
Finally, an insightful, detailed, and massive compilation of America's economy and investment markets. This book is HIGHY recommended.
The reviewer below is actually wrong in his simplistic assumption that deflation is the exact opposite of inflation. While deflation tends to cause a relative increase in buying power, this effect is only when deflation is modest and in the early stages. During a more prolonged period, deflation creates a decline in GDP and therefore purchasing power due to the relative effects on currency exchange rates.
I find it amazing that a person could give such a bad review over one statement that he thinks is wrong (when in fact it is not) despite all of the massive data and extensive coverage of material. If a reader chooses to cherry pick from within a massive resource such as this book, they will miss the forest from the trees.
Hold on there...........2007-04-05
After spending $55+ for this book, I started to leaf through it and promptly came across the following comment: "...rising gold prices usually result from a deflationary economy not an inflationary one, as investors seek to minimize the loss in buying power of their currency." So far as I know, a deflationary environment INCREASES the buying power of one's currency, as prices generally decrease during a deflationary episode. In other words, one can buy more loaves of bread per dollar in the bank. Gold is generally a hedge against inflation or fiat currency collapse, not deflation. Given what seems to me a basic error of this nature, I will be skeptical of other information in the book.
Book Description
As he did for frontier children in his enormously popular Children of the Wild West, Russell Freedman illuminates the lives of the American children affected by the economic and social changes of the Great Depression. Middle-class urban youth, migrant farm laborers, boxcar kids, children whose families found themselves struggling for survival . . . all Depression-era young people faced challenges like unemployed and demoralized parents, inadequate food and shelter, schools they couldn't attend because they had to go to work, schools that simply closed their doors. Even so, life had its bright spotslike favorite games and radio showsand many young people remained upbeat and optimistic about the future. Drawing on memoirs, diaries, letters, and other firsthand accounts, and richly illustrated with classic archival photographs, this book by one of the most celebrated authors of nonfiction for children places the Great Depression in context and shows young readers its human face. Endnotes, selected bibliography, index.
Customer Reviews:
At least one in five was hungry.......2006-08-03
I thought this was an excellent introduction to the Depression years for younger readers. Russell Freedman writes in a straightforward style and nicely avoids contractions ('did not' instead of 'didn't') popping up throughout his text. There are two stories in these pages, the Depression and life in the Thirties and the same years as they relate to children, so there are chapters devoted to 'In and out of school', 'Kids at work' and 'Boxcar kids' for example.
What really makes the book come alive for me are the excellent photos, all with captions including the date and photographer. Virtually all of them are from the now famous FSA files in the Library of Congress. Russell Lee, Dorothea Lange, Arthur Rothstein and Ben Shahn have the most and they perfectly work with the text. As well as great photos the design of the book is simple and elegant with the photos printed in a sepia green, there is a bibliography and index.
Another worthwhile childrens book about the same period is 'Welcome to Kit's world: 1934. Growing up during America's Great Depression' (ISBN 158485359X) beautifully designed with the story told as extended captions to the hundreds of photos and period graphics. This title is really aimed at young girls.
For a photobook of FSA children images have a look at 'Children of the Depression (ISBN 0253340314) a large format, one photo to a page book that probably has the best of what is available from the files. This book is mentioned in the bibliography of 'Children of the Great Depression'
All three books explore the lives of children in hard times with sympathetic words and powerful pictures.
***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
Book Description
This frightening book shows how massive consumer debt will trigger the next depression, starting in 2007. With interest rates increasing, savings rates near zero and debt at its maximum, people will be pushed over their debt limit, causing the depression.
Customer Reviews:
A THESIS OF EXCELLENCE ON HOW DEPRESSIONS HAPPEN.......2007-09-09
A Timeless work of Mastery in that it exposes what will be obvious in a few months to years. Based on concrete fact the conclusions support the facts. A Brilliant Writ which should be in every Economics class from High School to College!
A must read from the young entrepenuer to the MBA.
What the Government wishes to avoid is the harsh reality of impending Depression. After a brief dicussion with the author I can state he is a solid concrete thinker. I have injected thoughts of Taxflation (TM) which are sure to happen. I hope for sequele where the author can expound on defensive manuvers. One which I thought of is the "Roth Shuffle" (T.M.) about to take effect where 401 K's, IRAs and Sep Iras can be converted and taxed up front removing the Draconian "Taxflation" T.M. from future years of the Next Great Depression.
This gives more leverage to the author's well done tables of pension and investment income preserved by TIPS. Don Iden MD,FAAD,FABD,Mayo Clinic Alumnus. 4521 S Staples Street Ste 100 Corpus Christi, TX 78411-2603
Dated and not so great.......2007-03-15
This book doesn't really contain anything I didn't already know from books like "Empire of Debt" by Bonner and Wiggin. The latter is a much more well researched and well written book in addition to being more current. I would recommend it instead if you haven't read it. This book at hand had mediocre writing and some arguments that were crankish, especially the ones regarding investing in the stock market. It has many charts but most of them are rather obvious from the text and often unnecessary. Much of the data tables are things anyone could crank out on a spreadsheet program with ease and are embarrassingly simplistic at times. I do not recommend this book.
Debt on top of debt as we survive on a sort of "flywheel" effect. (but when happens when they call in the loans?).......2006-11-21
Being an Engineer myself, I appreciate his approach to analyzing a problem and breaking it down into parts. I think the data he has pulled together is very relevant, and his conclusion make sense. (I only wish they did not)
The world assigns a certain "value" to everything, and the value we have as a country is that of a consumer. Without our consumption, these fast climbing countries would NOT be able to grow their production capacity. (their own value)
The problem is that we are such poor savers that these "growing" producers are actually loaning us the money to buy their goods! in doing so, they are handing us the rope to hang ourselves!
If and when they build up enough wealth and consumption in their own society that they do not need us.....they will cut off our allowance and expect us to pay them back....then what?
This book has a similar view of our problems as another book I read called "Three Billion New Capitalists", though the author of that book was the Counselor to the Secretary of Commerce under Ronald Reagan. So while that book talked with quite a bit of first-hand knowledge, Mr. Brussee lookst at the same situation by analyzing all the data that is available to each of us...except he pulls it all together and makes sense of it.
I think Mr. Brussee has a more negative outlook for the situation, though I don't think either book paints a rosey picture of how our debt and imbalance of trade is doing anything by killing our value/worth to the world.
Both of the above books are worth the price and I suggest you read both books.
Very worthwhile reading.......2006-11-10
The author offers fairly complelling evidence for his prediction - I have actually checked the Personal Savings Rate [...] and found that his prediction in that area is still holding firm. Recent (Nov '06) news reports also agree that the public debt is reaching unsustainable levels. Now the stock market is going even higher (read over-valued) so we have a situation that appears to be just the scenario that the author paints.
The book is fairly dry but unfortunately the bare facts usually are.
Convincing!.......2006-06-12
Based on clear analysis of economic facts, Brussees conclusions are very convincing. Get ready!
Max Otte, Ph.D.
Professor of International Business
Book Description
Applied Austrian economics doesn't get better than this. Murray N. Rothbard's America's Great Depression is a staple of modern economic literature and crucial for understanding a pivotal event in American and world history.
The Mises Institute edition features, along with a new introduction by historian Paul Johnson, top-quality paper and bindings, in line with the standard set by The Scholars Edition of Human Action.
Since it first appeared in 1963, it has been the definitive treatment of the causes of the depression. The book remains canonical today because the debate is still very alive.
Rothbard opens with a theoretical treatment of business cycle theory, showing how an expansive monetary policy generates imbalances between investment and consumption. He proceeds to examine the Fed's policies of the 1920s, demonstrating that it was quite inflationary even if the effects did not show up in the price of goods and services. He showed that the stock market correction was merely one symptom of the investment boom that led inevitably to a bust.
The Great Depression was not a crisis for capitalism but merely an example of the downturn part of the business cycle, which in turn was generated by government intervention in the economy. Had the book appeared in the 1940s, it might have spared the world much grief. Even so, its appearance in 1963 meant that free-market advocates had their first full-scale treatment of this crucial subject. The damage to the intellectual world inflicted by Keynesian- and socialist-style treatments would be limited from that day forward.
Customer Reviews:
Superb!.......2007-06-04
This book explains the Austrian business cycle theory with regard to the great depression. Buy it for it is the only book existing that really does that.
The only way to put an end to the dreadful business cycle is to adopt a system of 100 percent gold money reserve standard and to abolish the Federal Reserve. In such a system fractional reserve banking is also abolished and the money supply, when implemented, will never contract again.
I, unlike most Austrian economists, do believe also that Milton Friedman's and Ben Bernanke suggestions that the great depression could have been avoided if the Federal Reserve had not let the money supply contract during the years 1929-1932 are correct.
I also, unlike most Austrian economists, do believe that inflation targeting of 2% that many central bankers do today, will and already has brought low inflation rates (low decreases of the purchasing power of money) and a relative stability compared to the situation during the 70s. Inflation targeting should be supported if the alternative is unfettered central banks.
The difference, though, between Murray Rothbard and Milton Friedman and Ben Bernanke is that Murray Rothbard was a true Austrian economist who knew the very cause of the business cycles and therefore also knew the final solution for it that is, as mentioned, to adopt a system of 100 percent gold reserve money standard.
The gold standard was flawed but not because of the reason that it was a gold standard but due to the fact that it was not 100 percent gold money reserve standard. Rothbard supported a 100 percent gold money reserve standard and in such a system the money supply could never contract as banks could meet any withdrawals. The massive amount of bank failures would also, therefore, have been avoided. The cause of the great depression was the Federal Reserve System and fractional reserve banking.
It is true that history is full of examples of depressions prevailing long before the establishment of the Federal Reserve System in 1913, but not any depression was so severe and more importantly, the destructive seeds of fractional reserve banking were still prevalent during all those depressions. In other words, if the U.S. had adopted a 100 percent gold reserve money standard before all mentioned depressions, the money supplies would never have contracted.
Nothing could substitute a 100 percent gold reserve money standard.
I will now in a few words explain the Austrian business cycle theory so you can get a hint of what it is all about.
Recessions and The Great Depression were caused by Government Interventions!
In a purely free market (without Government intervention), the rate of interest is determined by people's "willingness to save and invest" (which is called people's time preferences) for future use, as compared to how much they are "willingly to consume now". If people change their "willingness to save" (time preferences) and want to save more, the additional savings will cause the rate of interest to fall (increased supply of savings), and businesses will borrow and invest these additional savings. When the Central Bank (for example The Federal Reserve) increases the money supply and expands bank credit (which Central Banks does everywhere and all the time and always "out of thin air"), it initially lowers the rate of interest and thereby misleads businessmen to act in a manner as if true savings have increased, which in turn leads businessmen to invests those supposed savings in capital goods. New projects that were not profitable before, will now suddenly with this lower interest rate, be profitable. While this process is working, the economy is in an inflationary boom phase (expansion). Capital goods such as stocks, real estate etc, will be more demanded and invested in, and prices of those will rise faster and more intensely in relation to consumption goods. As these supposed savings have worked their way through the economy, prices of goods, services and wages have generally increased to a height which prices for them would have not reached without these supposed savings.
As mentioned, people's "willingness to save and invest" have not changed (people's time preferences have not changed) for it was only the Central Bank that increased, out of thin air, additional "savings". When supposed savings have worked their way through the economy and are received, finally, in increased wages, people still spend their real wages in the same manner as before. They save/ consume in real terms and in same proportion to each other, as before mentioned increase in supposed savings. Because of this, a lack of savings will occur and the rate of interest will rise. Projects that businessmen have invested in and that seemed to be profitable when the rate of interest was lowered are now revealed to be unprofitable. All those investments are revealed to be malinvestments. Businessmen will stop investing in those projects and lay off workers. Prices of capital goods, real estate, stocks etc, will fall sharply and relatively to the fall in prices of consumer goods. The economy is in a depression phase. When those investments are liquidated, the economy is adjusted to people's "willingness to save and invest" and to consume. The economic structure corresponds to the ratio which people want to save and consume. The economy is now healthy again.
Now then, in the 1920s the Federal Reserve, in the US, increased the money supply and bank credit, which in the 30s resulted in The Great Depression. The same story goes with Japan during the 1980s, which during the 90s, resulted in a depression.
In Sweden we had banks lending out heavily during the late 80s, which also, led to a depression in the 90s.
All business cycles are caused by the same phenomenon. Economic crisis can occur because of other factors such as wars, boycotts, oil prices etc, but pure business cycles have in common the same cause.
I have tried, in a very few words and in a easy manner, to explain Ludwig von Mises business cycle theory, which is also called the Austrian theory of the business cycle. All faults are mine. Friedrich August von Hayek elaborated this theory and received in 1974 the Nobel Prize for this.
Björn Lundahl
Göteborg Sweden
Money, Bank Credit, and Economic Cycles
Real economic history.......2007-04-17
I have read a lot of Murray Rothbard lately and can say this book (like all of Rothbard's others) offers an excellent analysis of economic history as it it not taught in business schools or discussed in the media. Always a joy to read. My only critic of the book is Rothbard's habit of over-using dense economic data that sometimes upsets the flow of reading, hence the 4 stars. I suppose I was reading a book on economics though so I know I shouldn't really complain.
Pornography for Economic Geeks.......2006-07-14
I really enjoyed this book, even though it dedicated itself to a rather dry discussion of the Austrian School of Ecenomics's explanations for the causes of the Great Depression. I have to say that I simply did not understand much of Economics until I started reading Rothbard because he argues that much of the Economic theories that I had such a hard time grasping were hard to understand because they were absurd.
It's definitely something that will allow you to argue with your econ teacher for hours.
Outdated Economic Interpretation and Political Activism. More Recent Works are More Accurate.......2006-06-01
This book is outdated by a few decades. Modern quantitative economic studies have considerably advanced our understanding of the Great Depression. Rothbard was famous for rejecting quantitative measurements in favor of philosophy (political activism) which does not compare to later research. For the economics of the Great Depression, I highly recommend the rigorous "Essays on the Great Depression" by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke or the old (and slightly outdated) "Monetary History of the United States" by Milton Friedman and Anna Jacobson Schwartz" (which helped Friedman win the Nobel Prize in Economics).
Other excellent books on the economics of the Great Depression include the rigorous 1996 "Golden Fetters" by Barry Eichengreen and Harold James. Another groundbreaking book on the economics of the Great Depression was the 1973 "A World in Depression" by Charles Kindleberger that focused on the international aspects (including the gold standard) and presents a sharply different interpretation than Rothbard, but Bernanke's book is even better.
For a reputable historians view of the Great Depression that is critical but of FDR, read David Kennedy's Pulitzer-Prize winning "Freedom From Fear."
Rothbard argues that the Federal Reserve first created inflation with a loose money policy and started the Depression, which was made worse by Hoover's actions to interfere with the natural correcting mechanisms of the economy. Rothbard is correct about the flawed actions by the Federal Reserve, but he does not properly explain the role of the disastrous gold standard in turning the contraction into the truly catastrophic Great Depression. (No surprise since Rothbard was a staunch believer in the gold standard.) The gold standard was a major cause.
Rothbard also does not adequately cover the effects of the massive collapse of the weakly regulated American financial system while Hoover was president and the subsequent contraction of money caused by the sharp drop in lending activity. Over 10,000 banks failed, which was a catastrophe. The banks were THE financial system of the United States at that time. That banking collapse further restricted the money supply when failed banks could not make any loans and solvent banks refused to make loans for fear of losing money.
The American economy would never have recovered from the massive banking collapse and the constrictive gold standard without intervention. The conventional economic thinking of tariffs, balanced budgets, the gold standard, and weakly regulated financial markets was wrong.
The Republican party had long been the party of tarriffs since the Civil War. The Smoot-Hawley tariff was named after two Republicans and pushed by the Republican leadership. Rothbard puts too much blame on Hoover to protect the Republicans. By the way, this is not meant to reflect on the Republicans of today, who generally oppose tariffs.
The Republican leadership back then staunchly supported a sound currency through a strictly balanced budget and the gold standard, along with high tariffs, which we now know was a disaster.
The Depression could not have ended - and did not end - until the disastrous gold standard was eliminated by FDR. The monetary contracton related to the gold standard and the banking collapse, which contracted loans and more money further, were the main causes.
With no disrespect to Rothbard or his views in general, this outdated dinosaur book on the Great Depession is simply outdated.
Solid.......2006-04-24
Murray Rothbard is one of the clearest writers in modern history, and this theories are well based. I loved every minute of this book, certainly a page turner for any economist.
A warning: This is not a pulp culture book. Instead it focuses on economic theory and government policies
Book Description
The twenties and thirties witnessed dramatic changes in American life: increasing urbanization, technological innovation, cultural upheaval, and economic disaster. In this fascinating book, the prize-winning historian David Kyvig describes everyday life in these decades, when automobiles and home electricity became commonplace, when radio and the movies became broadly popular.
Customer Reviews:
Not very satisfied.......2007-01-17
Last time I could chose free freight, but this time no free freight.
Not so much daily lives.......2007-01-04
My real interest in this book was to learn how ordinary people coped with life in a great depression. What interests me is in finding out how certain parts of society experienced it as I am sure the impact varies greatly.
This book - despite its title - clearly fails to answer this. Sure it tells me some of the reasons around the boom and bust, and some statistics on unemplyment, etc. But what I really wanted was the 'how they lived their lives' aspect that the title and blurb teased me with.
Despite my annoyance, I can't give this a 1 star (which is what it is worth to me) since it is a well written book and covers the topic well.
Informative.......2006-01-05
I wanted a book that give accurate information about life during the 1920's and 1930's. This book definitely does that, but I felt like I was back in history class in high school. I found myself skimming over a lot of it because there was so much detailed information. And I hate to sound like a third grader, but I would have liked to have seen more photos. This book is great if you have to give a report or gather historic information, but I found it a bit tedious to read during my lunch hour.
A broad overview laced with fascinating details.......2005-12-07
The automobile and electricity are so common in today's society that it is difficult to imagine life without them. It is easy to forget that at one time these things we take for granted were new innovations that altered every aspect of life. In Kyvig's thoughtful examination of American daily life through the 1920s and 1930s, he explores the innovations that changed daily life and the varying speeds at which changes were accepted. He begins his enlightening examination with a discussion of daily life in the 1920s, prior to many of the changes he later discusses. Then he smoothly transitions into a discussion of the technology that completely changed the lives of contemporary Americans in both rural and urban settings, including the automobile, electricity, radio and cinema. Kyvig's clever and insightful portrayal demonstrates the full implications of technology. For example, he shows how the automobile made it possible for people live farther from work, led to the school consolidation movement and changed dating rituals as teenagers ventured farther than their own front porches with their dates for the first time.
His discussion on the Great Depression, however, changes its focus to a discussion of government adminstration and programs, and is not as fascinating or focused on "daily life" of common people as the rest of his book.
This book was enjoyable to read and covered a variety of aspects on the daily lives of Americans, so it would have wide appeal for a number of readers. It is backed by solid scholarly research, and includes fascinating pictures that add to the enjoyment of the narrative. Kyvig has a true talent for writing, and this is apparent through reading his book. His study should not be overlooked as just another book on daily life in the 1920s and 1930s - it is an all-encompassing study that provides insight into a number of aspects of daily life. It also provides a detailed, fascinating history of the development of the automobile and its impacts on life.
Very general, but worth the read.......2005-05-31
Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1940, by David E. Kyvig, traces the developments in American culture and lifestyle during this critical period. Using US Census Data, Kyvig calls attention to the demographic changes that occurred over these dynamic twenty years, one of the strong points of this book. Among the technological developments discussed are the automobile, electricity, radio and movies. There are two chapters devoted to the day-to-day aspects of life during that time covering such topics as food, fashion, hygiene, courtship, etc. Kyvig also discusses the impact of the Great Depression, the New Deal and the expanded role of government during that era.
As a former history teacher, this book reminds me strongly of an expanded version of the typical US History chapter covering this time period. It isn't terribly deep, but does provide a solid overview. It is well-written, easy to read, and is a good starting point for people interested in the time period (or for students who need help for a research paper). Those of us who want more detailed information will need to look elsewhere.
Amazon.com
Rampant speculation. Record trading volumes. Assets bought not because of their value but because the buyer believes he can sell them for more in a day or two, or an hour or two. Welcome to the late 1920s. There are obvious and absolute parallels to the great bull market of the late 1990s, writes Galbraith in a new introduction dated 1997. Of course, Galbraith notes, every financial bubble since 1929 has been compared to the Great Crash, which is why this book has never been out of print since it became a bestseller in 1955.
Galbraith writes with great wit and erudition about the perilous actions of investors, and the curious inaction of the government. He notes that the problem wasn't a scarcity of securities to buy and sell; "the ingenuity and zeal with which companies were devised in which securities might be sold was as remarkable as anything." Those words become strikingly relevant in light of revenue-negative start-up companies coming into the market each week in the 1990s, along with fragmented pieces of established companies, like real estate and bottling plants. Of course, the 1920s were different from the 1990s. There was no safety net below citizens, no unemployment insurance or Social Security. And today we don't have the creepy investment trusts--in which shares of companies that held some stocks and bonds were sold for several times the assets' market value. But, boy, are the similarities spooky, particularly the prevailing trend at the time toward corporate mergers and industry consolidations--not to mention all the partially informed people who imagined themselves to be financial geniuses because the shares of stock they bought kept going up. --Lou Schuler
Book Description
Of Galbraith's classic examination of the 1929 financial collapse, the Atlantic Monthly said:"Economic writings are seldom notable for their entertainment value, but this book is. Galbraith's prose has grace and wit, and he distills a good deal of sardonic fun from the whopping errors of the nation's oracles and the wondrous antics of the financial community." Now, with the stock market riding historic highs, the celebrated economist returns with new insights on the legacy of our past and the consequences of blind optimism and power plays within the financial community.
Customer Reviews:
The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-14
This is the best book that I have read so far on the 1929 depression. Galbraith is so easy to read. He has a great sense of humor - dry but great. He is logical, sensible and supports his prejudices with numbers and facts. Anyone who is interested in the 1929 depression should have this on their list as required reading.
Financial Reporting at its finest...........2006-10-05
All writers of market histories should read and absorb Galbraith's short and eminently readable history of the start of the depression. Going beyond popular ideas it gets to the heart of the matter and provides sobering lessons to speculators in today's markets. I give this a hearty 5 stars!
Pretty Good.......2006-08-01
This gives a pretty good examination of the economic crash of 1929 and important events in the preceeding decade.
However, since this was originally published in 1954, there was at least one section in the book where the "rhetorical present" of the author's narration was in the 1950s (in its comparison on the 1929 crash with circumstances extant in the 1950s); however, in this same section, it refers to 'our current situation' in the late 1990s, and then later in the same section, it reverts back to the reference to the 1950s as 'our present.'
Also, the tone of the narration occasionally comes off as elitist when it refers to 'others who aren't intelligent enough to understand this discussion' (my paraphrase-I don't have the time/inclination to cite the exact page number).
All-in-all, though I would encourage the reading of this book for an understanding of the events leading up to and surrounding the 1929 crash and the following depression.
A little brief, but a good intro for me to the Crash.......2006-04-30
I'm not a big expert in the politics and economics of the Great Depression. I do have interests in American history, however, and I felt that this would be a good intro to both Galbraith and the nature of the Crash. For me, the day-to-day specifics of the Crash were a little rushed. I didn't get the full-blown treatment of narrative history that would have enabled me to walk away from this text feeling like a newly born expert in the field. Nor did I walk away with a great desire to learn more about the principal players in the Crash. What I did walk away with was helpful, though. This book is a more a sketch of the psychology of the American market than a history of the Crash. Galbraith strives to show that Americans want to be fooled into believing that speculative gains can lead to fulfillment of dreams of wealth. Of greater importance, this book emphasizes how our political and economic culture does not provide adequate incentives for leaders who wish to dampen our enthusiasm. Yes, there are a few villains in this book. But the greater cause for concern is our tendency to blow up balloons that will inevitably burst.
I hope that sound investing and the Great Crash our taught with great care in our schools, and I would consider this either a passable quick intro or a source for supplementary insights into the nature of how our culture can lead to this kind of market failure.
3 stars
--SD
JKG thinks he funny. He's not........2005-08-29
While I did find the book informative and a good supplement to Robert Sobel's The Great Bull Market: Wall Street in the 1920s, Galbraith interjects his sarcastic view of the participants in the 1920s Bull Market way too much. This makes parts of the book extremely difficult to read. While I persevered to the end, I fouynd Sobel's account as informative and much more enjoyable to read.
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