A brilliant; authoritative; and fascinating history of America’s most puzzling era; the years 1920 to 1933; when the US Constitution was amended to restrict one of America’s favorite pastimes: drinking alcoholic beverages.From its start; America has been awash in drink. The sailing vessel that brought John Winthrop to the shores of the New World in 1630 carried more beer than water. By the 1820s; liquor flowed so plentifully it was cheaper than tea. That Americans would ever agree to relinquish their booze was as improbable as it was astonishing. Yet we did; and Last Call is Daniel Okrent’s dazzling explanation of why we did it; what life under Prohibition was like; and how such an unprecedented degree of government interference in the private lives of Americans changed the country forever. Writing with both wit and historical acuity; Okrent reveals how Prohibition marked a confluence of diverse forces: the growing political power of the women’s suffrage movement; which allied itself with the antiliquor campaign; the fear of small-town; native-stock Protestants that they were losing control of their country to the immigrants of the large cities; the anti-German sentiment stoked by World War I; and a variety of other unlikely factors; ranging from the rise of the automobile to the advent of the income tax. Through it all; Americans kept drinking; going to remarkably creative lengths to smuggle; sell; conceal; and convivially (and sometimes fatally) imbibe their favorite intoxicants. Last Call is peopled with vivid characters of an astonishing variety: Susan B. Anthony and Billy Sunday; William Jennings Bryan and bootlegger Sam Bronfman; Pierre S. du Pont and H. L. Mencken; Meyer Lansky and the incredible—if long-forgotten—federal official Mabel Walker Willebrandt; who throughout the twenties was the most powerful woman in the country. (Perhaps most surprising of all is Okrent’s account of Joseph P. Kennedy’s legendary; and long-misunderstood; role in the liquor business.) It’s a book rich with stories from nearly all parts of the country. Okrent’s narrative runs through smoky Manhattan speakeasies; where relations between the sexes were changed forever; California vineyards busily producing “sacramental†wine; New England fishing communities that gave up fishing for the more lucrative rum-running business; and in Washington; the halls of Congress itself; where politicians who had voted for Prohibition drank openly and without apology. Last Call is capacious; meticulous; and thrillingly told. It stands as the most complete history of Prohibition ever written and confirms Daniel Okrent’s rank as a major American writer.
#177374 in Books Simon n Schuster 2001-10-09 2001-09-25Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.24 x 12.36 x 11.80l; #File Name: 074322292X320 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The back cover pic says it allBy neasden ozYears ago; I saw this wonderful book during a study trip interstate; and felt it too big to cram into luggage. Clever boy.Sth Australia has ties with Antarctic exploration through Mawson; His friend and protege; Reg Sprigg; set up a private eco-sanctuary 400km from where I live.In reading Shackleton and Mawson; both of them come across as dour but indomitable; but one never quite gets the flavor of their tribulations; though "This Accursed Land" touches on it.So; to Hurley; a Tasmanian; technically highly proficient in the rapidly evolving tech of Photography; and Artist to boot.In this weighty tome; we have a huge number of photographs by Hurley; covering the attempt to cross Antarctica; and which expedition failed to actually reach the mainland; due to weather and "Endurance" ultimately being beset; then destroyed by the ice.The works are held in three separate collections; and come beautifully reproduced; with excellent notes; explanations; and notes from Hurley; and his comrades.The volume includes a good number of non Antarctic works;(Sydney; War photography; action photography) showing his capacity to innovate; and; always; his Art.The wild unexpected splendor of Sth Georgia; the views of the Antarctic we rarely saw .The cameraderie of the Men; the love for the dogs...I never realized that all sorts of breeds and Heinzdogs were involved.Playing soccer on the ice; waiting for leads to open up.The stunning night shots of the ship held in the ice; and its eventual destruction.The meticulous attention to detail that allowed all to survive.And we get to see the ingenuity shown in the various jury-rigged contraptions the men bulit.The indescribably bleak conditions...you can feel the interminable cold; the sopping wet that Shackleton made much of.Hurley's knack for capturing the "feeling" as well as the vision.A great pic of Hurley perched at the end of a spar.And his laconic notes on how he escaped serious injury; repeatedly; to capture bits of history.That the team continued to cart his equipment and films; and heavy glass plates gives a hint of what the crews though about Hurley and his work.I still reckon the back Dust-jacket pic the most moving.The lads left at Elephant Island; cheerfully waving Shackleton's small group off as they ( ultimately successfully) attempt to sail/row the 800NM to Sth Georgia; to raise the alarm.Last chance for all concerned.Many thanks to Michael Clorin at Giggil Ia;for getting this rare glimpse into another world; to me on the other side of the world; in record short time.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy ScoopageI am looking forward to its arrival in the mail! It's an early shopping Christmas gift for our son.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy CarolynMagnificent photographs!
