Customer Reviews

The Aspirin Age 1919-1941

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I first enjoyed this period in history, (United States, 20's and 30s), when I took my only upper division history class in the subject. Our professor stated his textbook principle quite clearly: "I only use primary sources, texts written by those that were there. I just don't believe in prefabricated history textbooks."

I didn't read this book during that course, but when I ran across it in a used bookstore, I bought it for the same reason my professor chose his sources: all the essays are written by people close to the subject. In this collection, you can read about Jack Dempsey from his most famous opponent, Gene Tunney. Or who better to tell you about Huey P. Long, America's demagogue and fascist, than one of Louisiana's only newspaper editors who had the fortitude to stand up to him. All of the book's authors have such a close relationship to their subject matter, which makes this collection more reliable than others, and much more readable.

This book is just terrific. If you are interested in reading about the 20s and 30s, then you will certainly enjoy it. If you've never been interested in this period, then after reading this book, you might be! Articles range from what you might expect (albeit with a twist), like "Calvin Coolidge: A Study in Inertia" or "The Timely Death of President Harding." Others deal with subjects that made the news at the time, but are perhaps less well remembered today, such as the feats of Izzie and Moe (the Prohibition police), the Dionne quintuplets, and the wreck of the "Morro Castle." Some other topics included: Huey Long, Sacco and Vanzetti, the Crash, the first 100 days of the New Deal, Pearl Harbor Sunday, Wendell Wilkie, Versailles, Aimee Semple McPherson, the Lindberghs, the death of Starr Faithful, the night the Martians landed, the King and the girl from Baltimore. And there's still more...
This book is also ideal to introduce the period to either high school of college students, or to use as background material. The teacher could either assign the book in its entirety or simply choose a few articles. It will make history come alive for kids.

"The Aspirin Age" is a delightful walk through twenty-two tumultuous years in American history. This very "readable" book contains a series of essays on a diverse array of topics during the period from 1919 through 1941. The book's chapters are all essays written by the nation's best practicing historians. Isabel Leighton's fine editing provides the continuity for these historical vignettes which enhances the quality of an already excellent work.

The topic selected for each year is not necessarily the most burning issue of that year. However, each year's topic captures a unique facet of the American psyche that invariably adds to the reader's understanding of other, perhaps more "important", issues of that era. For that reason it is a very useful addition to any student reading list in American history courses covering the Twenty-Two years dubbed "The Aspirin Age" by editor, Isabel Leighton. Indeed, most people encounter this delightful work as required reading in such courses. I first encountered "The Aspirin Age" while an undergraduate at Southwest Texas University. It was on the required reading list for a course I was taking there on the depression era. There were a number of other books that were required reading for that course. In addition to these works, the professor required us to read one or two chapters per week of "The Aspirin Age" to supplement our other reading.

Although the professor certainly intended our class to read the book more or less "piecemeal" so that we would be able to understand the social and political context of the course materials, it did not work out that way in my case. As usual I failed to follow the professor's instructions relevant to to my reading assignment for the course. I started reading the book in compliance with my reading assignment but soon found that I could not put the book down. Consequently, I finished it a day or two after starting my first assigned readings. "The Aspirin Age" was an unexpected pleasure.

If I learned nothing else as a history major, I learned that not all historical writing is created equal and that scholarly treatment of a topic does not necessarily equate to entertaining reading. I was very impressed that this book that I "had to read" turned out to be such an enjoyable reading experience.

I kept my copy of "The Aspirin Age" even after I completed the course. After I graduated from Southwest Texas I began teaching history and graduation and was happy to use "The Aspirin Age" with my own students. They enjoyed the book as much as I did as a student. The book quickly engages the student's interest. The interest level is such that the students finish the book before they have time to think about the fact that they are reading a scholarly work. It's fun to watch them devour the book. I heartily recommend the book to anyone who enjoys reading crisp,well crafted history. Most people encounter "The Aspirin Age" like I did; as required reading in one history class or another. The book is a joy to read and a wonderful teaching resource. It is kind of a shame that "The Aspirin Age's" academic pedigree is so impeccable. If a non academic friend gave you a copy of it for your birthday, after reading it you'd probably appreciate that friend a little more.

The impact the aticles in this book have had are really quite remarkable. Included here are the articles that cemented the legend of the first 100 days of the FDR administration, the piece that set the belief that Sacco and Vanzetti were innocent dupes, and that Coolidge and Harding were total incompetents.

Other reviews implied the articles here were written in the years they appear under but that's not correct. They cover events that somewhat center on the year they are dedicated to but include fore and after story and opinion. Really they represent prevailing thought of immediate post war years, the collection was originally published 1949.

If you want to understand what people assume they know about the period you need to read this. But understand later research, from more conservative and liberal perspectives, have discredited much of this conventional wisdom.

Some of the entries are sharply written histories. Others are overwhelmingly flinty, reading more like timely newspaper editorials of the day. Although some of the first-person accounts are dazzling acts of observation, many of the essays are polemic and tedious. There is little of the sweet aroma of context in this volume, but for purists already familiar with much of the ground covered, "The Aspirin Age" is probably an invaluable companion history to the years between the wars.