Description:
the so-called quiet decade of 1900-1910 was anything but quiet. Spurred by the energy and progressive attitude of President Theodore Roosevelt and millions of immigrants flooding into our cities, American life saw tremendous cultural and technological change. A healthy economy gave workers more spending money and leisure time to enjoy hobbies, travel, and pastimes, including a new and revolutionary entertainment-the movies.
Providing an exciting picture of American life at the dawn of the 20th century, this volume covers:
- Innovations in technology, such as the airplane and the automobile
-The advent of modern architecture
-The proliferation of advertising aimed at the new middle class
-Fads, games, sports, and hobbies
-Changes in fashion and cuisine
This book also features the burgeoning of the arts, including the school of realism and naturalism in literature, the first truly American music-jazz-and the new performing art that played to American tastes: vaudeville. A wealth of facts, information, and interesting sidelights not available elsewhere makes this a treasure trove for students and interested readers.
Brief description: Bob Batchelor is a cultural historian and assistant professor of communication, media, and culture at Coastal Carolina University . His books include Stan Lee: A Life; Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel, Young Reader's Edition; and Roadhouse Blues: Morrison, the Doors, and the Death Days of the Sixties. He is a three-time winner of the IPA Book Award. Batchelor's work has appeared in or been featured by the New York Times, Cincinnati Enquirer, Los Angeles Times, Today.com, The Guardian, PopMatters, and Time. Batchelor is a host on the New Books Network podcast and creator and host of the podcast John Updike: American Writer, American Life. He has appeared as an on-air commentator for The National Geographic Channel, PBS NewsHour, BBC, PBS, and NPR.
Review Quotes: "Business writer and historian Batchelor suspects that historians have acquired a distaste for the ten years between 1900 and 1910 because of the dominance of Teddy Roosevelt and The Progressive Era. He finds much more that was happening concerning life and youth, and such areas of popular culture as advertising, leisure activities, music, and travel."-Reference & Research Book News