The New York Public Library Book of Popular Americana [Hardcover]

Tad Tuleja (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1994

A reference guide to American culture, with more than 4000 entries providing a factual guide to America's history and folklore, slang and diversions, heroes and villains creating a "people's guide" to America's past and present.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this engaging dictionary, Tuleja (Quirky Quotations, LJ 8/92) has collected and defined nearly 4000 people, events, words, and phrases concerning America's popular culture, from colonization through modern times. He includes literature, folklore, the media, high and low arts, sports, and slang that have become "cultural icons" and entered daily thought and language. Terms familiar to modern readers appear along with lesser-known terms such as "Brother Jonathan" (an early personification of the American people) and "Krazy Kat" (an early popular cartoon character). Despite a small number of minor factual errors appearing in the proofs (such as A.J. Foyt's being a five-time rather than a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner), the overall content is quite good, with lively and readable definitions. This book, which nicely complements Jan and Michael Stern's Encyclopedia of Popular Culture (LJ 10/15/92) and The Handbook of American Popular Culture (LJ 10/1/89), should be useful both as a reference tool and for browsing by scholars and interested general readers. Recommended for all types of libraries.
Stephen L. Hupp, Capital Univ. Lib., Columbus, Ohio
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc (December 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671899872
• ISBN-13: 978-0671899875
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,111,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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