Great Depression: People and Perspectives

From the Publisher

"This resource can be recommended for high school and college libraries that support courses on American history. . . the perspective provided by this volume deserves a place in a comprehensive history collection."

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ARBAonline

"This well-rounded collection of essays provides an informative overview of life during the Great Depression. It is most appropriate for high school collections and libraries catering to undergraduate students."

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Library Journal

"This reference for general readers and students in high school and up gives voice to American men, women, and children from a range of economic classes and ethnic backgrounds during the Great Depression. . . . Topics in the series are selected to fit curricular standards for both high school history classes and undergraduate American history courses. An emphasis on social history brings historical analysis into the classroom, while still focusing on topics that will engage students."

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Reference & Research Book News

Reviewed with Civil War: People and Perspectives

"Rather than highlighting politics or battles, these titles focus on how individuals and groups–including women, youth, African Americans, Native Americans, and various religious minorities–fared and were shaped by events during significant periods in American history. In addition to the attention to diverse groups, chapters in Great Depression explore the myriad problems faced in urban areas versus the countryside, and the impact of both technology and Hollywood movies during the 1930s. Civil War includes essays on soldiers, civilians, immigrants, and cities. Chapters in each volume are well researched, well documented, and individually authored. Informative sidebars will pique readers' interest in lesser-known personalities, while the substantial number of primary sources appended to each volume will allow advanced researchers the opportunity to explore topics in more depth."

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School Library Journal

"Recommended."

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Library Media Connection

Library Journal

This one-volume entry in ABC-CLIO's well-known "Perspectives in American Social History" covers the experiences of ordinary citizens during the Great Depression and how they dealt with the hardships. Edited by Cravens (history, Iowa State Univ.), who has published widely on the history of science and technology in American culture, the volume is divided into two sections, though the differentiation seems fairly minor. Part 1, "American Society and Culture in the Age of the Great Depression," places an emphasis on groups within the American society, including women, young people, immigrants, minorities, farmers, and families. Part 2, "American Culture in the Great Depression," comprises essays on New Deal planning, technology, the film industry, and urban planning, to name a few. Each section contains essays written by scholars of the era, which examine an aspect of American society or culture during the Great Depression. Each essay runs approximately 20 pages in length and is supplemented with illustrations and lists of references. The volume also includes an introduction, a chronology, a bibliography, an index, a dictionary of terms, and a collection of primary documents. BOTTOM LINE This well-rounded collection of essays provides an informative overview of life during the Great Depression. It is most appropriate for high school collections and libraries catering to undergraduate students.—Ryan Johnson, Oxford, MI

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—Rather than highlighting politics or battles, these titles focus on how individuals and groups—including women, youth, African Americans, Native Americans, and various religious minorities—fared and were shaped by events during significant periods in American history. In addition to the attention to diverse groups, chapters in Great Depression explore the myriad problems faced in urban areas versus the countryside, and the impact of both technology and Hollywood movies during the 1930s. Civil War includes essays on soldiers, civilians, immigrants, and cities. Chapters in each volume are well researched, well documented, and individually authored. Informative sidebars will pique readers' interest in lesser-known personalities, while the substantial number of primary sources appended to each volume will allow advanced researchers the opportunity to explore topics in more depth. Black-and-white archival photographs and occasional charts are included.—Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PA