The 1900s: (American Popular Culture Through History) [Textbook Binding]

Bob Batchelor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0313313342 | ISBN-13: 978-0313313349

The so-called "quiet decade" of 1900-1910 was anything but quiet. Spurred by the energy and progressive attitude of President Theodore Roosevelt and millions of immigrants flooding into our cities, American life saw tremendous cultural and technological change. A healthy economy gave workers more spending money and leisure time to enjoy hobbies, travel, and pastimes, including a new and revolutionary entertainment-the movies. Providing an exciting picture of American life at the dawn of the 20th century, this volume covers: DBLInnovations in technology, such as the airplane and the automobileBLThe advent of "modern" architectureBLThe proliferation of advertising aimed at the new middle classBLFads, games, sports, and hobbiesBLChanges in fashion and cuisine This book also features the burgeoning of the arts, including the school of realism and naturalism in literature, the first truly American music-jazz-and the new performing art that played to American tastes: vaudeville. A wealth of facts, information, and interesting sidelights not available elsewhere makes this a treasure trove for students and interested readers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Offering a wealth of information on the last century's first decade, this reference would be a useful addition to any collection....Recommended.”–Library Media Connection

“Business writer and historian Batchelor suspects that historians have acquired a distaste for the ten years between 1900 and 1910 because of the dominance of Teddy Roosevelt and The Progressive Era. He finds much more that was happening concerning life and youth, and such areas of popular culture as advertising, leisure activities, music, and travel.”–Reference & Research Book News

About the Author

BOB BATCHELOR is an award-winning business writer and historian. Trained at the University of Pittsburgh and Kent State University, he currently lives with his wife, Katherine, in San Rafael, CA.

Product Details

• Textbook Binding: 258 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (May 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313313342
• ISBN-13: 978-0313313349
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,880,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bob Batchelor is an award-winning business writer and historian. He teaches Public Relations in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University. A noted expert on American popular culture, Bob is the author or editor of: The 1900s (Greenwood, 2002), Kotex, Kleenex, and Huggies: Kimberly-Clark and the Consumer Revolution in American Business (The Ohio State University Press, 2004), Basketball in America: From the Playgrounds to Jordan's Game and Beyond (Haworth, 2005); Literary Cash: Unauthorized Writings Inspired by the Legendary Johnny Cash (BenBella Books, 2006), The 1980s: American Popular Culture Through History (Greenwood, 2007), The 2000s: American Popular Culture Through History (Greenwood, 2008) and the four-volume American Pop: Popular Culture Decade by Decade (Greenwood, 2009).

Bob has published more than 500 articles and essays in magazines, Web sites, and reference works, including the Dictionary of American History, Inside Business magazine, PopMatters.com, and The American Prospect Online. Bob is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Popular Culture.

Bob spent a decade working in corporate communications for a number of large companies, including Ernst & Young, Fleishman-Hillard, and Bank of America. He is an internal communications specialist, focusing on executive communications and technology. Bob served as Senior Writer on the 2001 PRSA Silver Anvil winning team in B2B Marketing for Documentum (now part of EMC).

Bob graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor's degree in history, philosophy and political science. He received a master's degree in American History from Kent State University and doctorate in English Literature at the University of South Florida. He wrote his dissertation on John Updike, symbolic interactionism, Terrorist, and popular culture.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Written by Chris Burtch, Slippery Rock, PA High School Teacher -- Fantastic, November 7, 2002

By 

Bob Batchelor "Bob Batchelor" (Kent, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 1900s: (American Popular Culture Through History) (Textbook Binding)

As a high school history teacher, I am constantly looking for sources that are interesting but are also 'good' history to use as resources for the lessons I prepare and as supplementary materials for my students.

This book is without question the best thing I have ever come across in my 10-plus years as an American History teacher. Mr. Batchelor provides a well organized, succinct look at a decade in US history that is usually stuck at the very end of the unit on the Industrial Revolution or just glossed over in a unit on Progressivism or Imperialism.

The book itself reads very easily and I found myself unable to put it down until I finished whatever chapter I was reading, particularly the chapters on Popular Culture and Everyday America. Anyone interested in learning about a very understudied or misstudied decade in American History need look no further than Mr. Batchelor's book The 1900s.