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Michael O'Malley

Keeping Watch: A History of American Time Hardcover – July 25, 1990

by Michael O'Malley (Author)

4.1 6 ratings

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Provides a historical look at the role time has played in civilization, from the local measure ruled by nature's seasons, to an abstract standard governed by machinery which divides days and facilitates transportation, commerce, and labor management

Print length

384 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Viking
Publication date

July 25, 1990
Dimensions

1 x 1 x 1 inches
ISBN-10

067082934X
ISBN-13

978-0670829347
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

O'Malley here identifies an epic theme: the shift in American consciousness from a "natural" to an "artificial" accounting of the hours. How did Americans wean themselves from insisting that clocks and time-reckoning scrupulously follow the sun, instead accepting "standard" time, the "time zone" concept, and notions of "time as commodity"? The author's answers illuminate and are illuminated by central trends in U.S. history: urbanization, an increasingly interdependent national economy, and the triumph of secular humanism all exerted influence. New York University professor of history O'Malley argues that litigation, special-interest legislation and bitter labor-relations struggles also contributed to the commoditization of American time, while the "scientific management" movement and development of motion-picture syntax serve as vital markers. He penetrates the historical record with a painstaking eye, which is complemented by his caution in rendering judgment. Although original and important, the book rests on an aggregation and reiteration of sometimes dry detail--and, much like a textbook, is all too easy to set aside.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

We live in an incredibly time-conscious culture, and yet just over a century ago timekeeping was in chaos, with some cities having multiple criteria for setting their clocks. How time in America became standardized, manipulated, and ultimately our master is the subject of this sociological history. O'Malley (history, NYU) traces how time changed from a natural phenomenon to an industrial (rather than governmental) commodity, concluding with its acceptance as a scientific (rather than religious) entity in the Scopes trial. The chapter on time in motion pictures seems loosely related to the rest of the book, despite the author's efforts to integrate it. Illustrations, indexing, and binding were not available for review. A more expansive history is David S. Landes's Revolution in Time ( LJ 12/15/83). Useful for larger public and university libraries.
- James Moffet, Baldwin P.L., Birmingham, Mich.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Viking (July 25, 1990)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 067082934X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0670829347
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.45 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1 x 1 x 1 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,450,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,833 in History of Technology
- #199,080 in Business & Money (Books)
- #985,468 in Literature & Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.1 6 ratings

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About the author

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Michael O'Malley

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A native of Philadelphia, Mike O'Malley got his undergraduate degree in history at Temple University, and his PH.D. in US history at the University of California at Berkeley. At Berkeley he was a student of Lawrence Levine and Michael Rogin. He taught at NYU and at Vassar College before coming to George Mason University in 1994. His first book, Keeping Watch, was published by Viking/ Penguin in 1990.

O'Malley was a semi professional musician and before Covid be seen playing in various small-time local gigs around the DC area.

He dreads the Midas touch of expertise