The American Earthquake: A Chronicle Of The Roaring Twenties, The Great Depression, And The Dawn Of The New Deal [Paperback]

Edmund Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 1996

During a twelve-month period in 1930 and 1931, Edmund Wilson wrote a series of lengthy articles which he then collected in a book called American Jitters: A Year of the Slump. The resulting chronicle was hailed by the New York Times as "the best reporting that the period of depression has brought forth in the United States," and forms the heart of the present volume. In prose that is by turns dramatic and naturalistic, inflammatory and evocative, satirical and droll, Wilson painted an unforgettable portrait of a time when "the whole structure of American society seemed actually to be going to pieces." The American Earthquake bookends this chronicle with a collection of Wilson's non-literary articles—including criticism, reportage, and some fiction—from the years of "The Follies," 1923–1928, and the dawn of the New Deal, 1932–1934. During this period, Wilson had grown from a little-known journalist to one of the most important American literary and social critics of the century. The American Earthquake amply conveys the astonishing breadth of Wilson's talent, provides an unparalleled vision of one of the most troubling periods in American history, and, perhaps inadvertently, offers a self-portrait comparable to The Education of Henry Adams.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This collection of nonliterary essays show Wilson "at the peak of his powers as a critic, reporter, and caustic wit," said LJ's reviewer. "These samples of brilliant journalism and satirical observation run the gamut from the Ziegfeld Follies to the depths of the Depression, the New Deal, and the case of the Scottsboro Negro boys" (LJ 3/1/58). A nice companion to the work by his buddy Fitzgerald above.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Edmund Wilson (1895-1972) served on the staffs of Vanity Fair, The New Republic, and The New Yorker; his many books include I Thought of Daisy, Axel's Castle, To the Finland Station, Memoirs of Hecate County, The Shores of Light, and Patriotic Gore.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 21, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306806967
• ISBN-13: 978-0306806964
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,528,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The American Earthquake by Edmund Wilson, April 21, 2010

By 

John R. Belcher "Jack Belcher" (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Earthquake (Hardcover)

Published in 1958 this book is divided into three parts: The Follies, 1923-1928; The Earthquake, October 1930-October 1931; and,
Dawn of the New Deal, 1932-1934. Each section consists of a selection of Wilson's non-literary articles written during the twenties
and thirties. He writes in the Forward: "The pieces in the first of the three sections have never been reprinted before; the pieces
in the second section were reprinted in a book called THE AMERICAN JITTERS (in England, DEVIL TAKE THE HINDMOST), published in 1932; and
most of the pieces in the third--though a few have not been printed or collected before--in TRAVELS IN TWO DEMOCRACIES, published in 1936. Most of this material is simple reporting..."
This book is certainly relevant today, in view of the recent financial debacles now in our own time, and is an important work, written
by the man who has been called America's greatest literary critic.

3 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars manu, December 31, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The American Earthquake: A Chronicle Of The Roaring Twenties, The Great Depression, And The Dawn Of The New Deal (Paperback)

i think this is a very good book prescribed. AMAZON.COM&iliked it very much.