Victorian America, 1876 to 1913 (Almanacs of American Life) [Hardcover]

Crandall Shifflett (Author), Richard Balkin (Author, Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In a period when publishers are rushing histories of the 20th century into print, what a pleasure it is to encounter two titles on the 19th century. Though the two books differ greatly in concept and neither is complete in coverage, they help fill a surprising void in general histories of the previous century. Editors Corey and Ochoa (The New York Public Library Book of Answers, S. & S., 1993) adhere tightly to the constraints of Victoria's reign, 1837-1901. Their encyclopedia's focus is Western, but it cannot help but cover the world, as did the English presence at the time. Entries are strictly alphabetical, brief yet informative, and broad in scope, illuminating the great strides made in the arts, sciences, medicine, and philosophy in this dynamic era. The pages are somewhat stark and would have been improved if lavished with more illustrations from an age that abhorred the unadorned. See references to related entries are included throughout the text; a seven-page bibliography of books covering various aspects of Victorian life and culture completes the volume. Ultimately, this is more a mirror of an era of thought than a comprehensive history of an age, but it may prove a useful handbook if the researcher can think first of time rather than of subject. The volume from Shifflett (history, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and SUNY) is part of the "Almanacs of American Life" series, four volumes intended to flesh out periods of our history with facts, figures, and articles on cultural life. The format is a mixture of original text, brief biographies, historical tables and charts, chronologies, and illustrations, all organized under broad subject headings. Why the odd period of 1876 to 1913 was chosen is unexplained; apparently, no volume of the series is planned to cover the period from 1800 to 1875, and carrying the Victorian designation to 1913 erroneously embraces such solidly 20th-century personalities as Theodore Roosevelt and Henry Ford. Nevertheless, the concept is well done and presents a wealth of specialized information in a tool that covers the social history of the last quarter of the 19th century better than any existing title. Librarians will find more material here than in The Encyclopedia of the Victorian World but covering a shorter period. A quick check will probably show that most libraries have more on Colonial than on Victorian America, and either of these two titles will help clarify an era of impressive advancement. For all libraries.?James Moffet, Baldwin P.L., Birmingham, Mich.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

This addition to the 'Almanacs of American Life' series covers 1876-1913, investigating changes in American culture, politics and lifestyle during the period and providing many statistical tables, references, and in-depth discussions. Use this as a stand-alone volume or package it with others in the serious for either public or high school library reference. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 408 pages
• Publisher: Facts on File; First Edition edition (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816025312
• ISBN-13: 978-0816025312
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #954,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More Charts And Statistics Than Words, May 29, 2007

By 

Chris Luallen (Nashville, Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Victorian America, 1876 to 1913 (Almanacs of American Life) (Hardcover)

I bought this title thinking it was a university level textbook on the Victorian period in the United States. But it turned out to be something much different. There are about 100 pages, of this 400 page book, that are actual writings on a variety of political, cultural and economic topics related to Victorian American history. There are also some excellent photos as well as a number of fascinating written excerpts by ordinary Victorians on topics such as child labor, the union movement and bathing at Coney Island.

But, unfortunately, the vast majority of the book is devoted to charts, graphs and statistics. For example, there is "U.S Workforce, 1914" which breakdowns the exact number of people employed in 35 different industries or "Combined Totals of Persons Present In Local, State and Federal Correctional Facilities: 1880, 1890" which provides the number of people jailed, state by state, in these years. These are just two of the literally hundreds of similar charts in this book. If this sounds like dull reading - believe me it is. I did glance through at least some of the charts. But would have much preferred that these pages be devoted to actual writings about the the history of Victorian American. People looking for a textbook to study the era should probably look elsewhere.