The Perils of Prosperity, 1914-1932, 2nd Edition

by William E. Leuchtenburg

Beginning with Woodrow Wilson and U.S. entry into World War I and closing with the Great Depression, The Perils of Prosperity traces the transformation of America from an agrarian, moralistic, isolationist nation into a liberal, industrialized power involved in foreign affairs in spite of itself.

William E. Leuchtenburg's lively yet balanced account of this hotly debated era in American history has been a standard text for many years. This substantial revision gives greater weight to the roles of women and minorities in the great changes of the era and adds new insights into literature, the arts, and technology in daily life. He has also updated the lists of important dates and resources for further reading.

“This book gives us a rare opportunity to enjoy the matured interpretation of an American Historian who has returned to the story and seen how recent decades have added meaning and vividness to this epoch of our history.”—Daniel J. Boorstin, from the Preface

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, School, The United States Of America, American, Politics

332 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

William Edward Leuchtenburg was an American historian who was the William Rand Kenan Jr. Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a leading scholar of the life and career of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this for a college level history of American 1900-1945 class and it is overall an interesting and useful text.
It chronicles the transition of America from agrarian to manufacturing. Leuchtenburg shows the divide between the country and the city; as one fights to stay alive, the other fights to evolve. The first half of the book focuses more so on the politics: World War I, the Treaty of Versailles, Wilson’s Fourteen Points, and the Red Scare. The second half details more of society and culture of the 1920s, which were particularly enjoyable. One of the downsides I came across is that he seems to condense a lot of facts into 269 pages which might be hard to follow for some. Overall 3/5.

[Sam Dye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this $1.95 in (1958) book for $4.50 at O'Keefe's downtown yesterday and boy did I get a bargain! It is very pertinent to todays financial/social situation. A quote from the very last two sentences is as follows: "The United States in the period from 1914 to 1932 fell far short of working out viable solutions to the problems created by the painful transition from nineteenth-century to modern America. But it is, at the very least, charitable to remember that the country has not solved these problems yet."

It contains a wealth of information on the political, economic, and social issues from start to finish.

[Steve Barrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

A review of U.S. history in the period 1914-1932, organized by topic in thirteen easy to read chapters. It starts with the U.S. entry into World War I, and ends with the stock market crash of 1929 and the early years of the Depression leading up to the election of F.D.R. The 1920s loom large as a unique snapshot in time: when the Great War had soured the national mood and provoked a culture of cynicism and loose morals, while rising urbanization, industrialization and a growing consumer culture buoyed a widespread prosperity built on debt that was ultimately unsustainable. The trends concentrated wealth in the hands of a powerful few, and created a rift between traditional rural values and progressive urban values. It's a familiar story, as we have lived through it again in recent times. The author describes the decade as a kind of shaky bridge from the old Victorian world to the modern world from which he is writing in 1958. I enjoyed the book, and though I think it was accurate in its portrayal of the era it felt a bit shallow, like the author was merely repeating conventional knowledge in a series of topics. He does include a long suggested reading list at the end, so you could always dive deeper into any of these subjects based on that. I also thought it was fascinating that the Spanish influenza is not mentioned at all in this book, confirming the idea that this pandemic was largely ignored by historians in its immediate aftermath. The author was relatively young when he wrote this (in his thirties) and he has since written many more history books. I wonder if his craft has improved over his lifetime. Amazingly, as I write this in early 2023, he is a still living centenarian, and still a practicing scholar of history. Hey, who wouldn't be if they could?

[Heidi Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for class but it’s was actually interesting and easy to read!

[Reagan Kuennen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my US world wars class and it was actually pretty easy to read and interesting

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the early 20th century America had begun to assert itself as a capitalist society. What Leuchtenberg does so brilliantly is to parse out how this really affected everyday people (including women, racial minorities, and other significant yet largely ignored sectors of the population), as well as how it affected broad policy issues (like foreign policy and prohibition). What makes this book truly amazing is its accessibility. It can easily be read and comprehended in a few sittings by any interested person, no advanced degree in history or social science required.

[Chad Lamb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good reference for understanding the Jazz Age and subsequent Great Depression eras. Definitely skewed toward the liberal interpretation of history, especially concerning the effect of the Coolidge administration's tax policies and how Americans "worshiped" at the temple of business in the 1920s.

[B. Hallward · Rating 3 out of 5]

A surprisingly good overview of American history from World War I to the Great Depression, though broad, selective and very concise. Written in the fifties, it is still a valid and useful survey, even if it is in some ways amusingly of its own era.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good account, but for most people, Frederick Lewis Allen's Only Yesterday is still a much more entertaining and useful account of the 1920s.

[John Albers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though the book was published in 1958, The Perils of Prosperity is one of the best histories of the 1920's. Leuchtenburg is a good writer and for a historian he is very readable.

[Claw Machine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leuchtenberg's book is a classic narrative of the 1920s as an era, a broad overview that I really legitimately adored. He traces the fall of progressivism and how it persisted in the wilderness years of the 20s and Coolidge prosperity very well, and really does an excellent job immersing you in the culture of the time. His anecdotes are well chosen, his individuals well characterized and always contextualized very well, and overall it's just very well crafted as a broad overview (therefore it may not get into detail as some wish, though of course this is perfect for what I needed).

His discussion of how progressivism sorta died with a feeling that Wilson had lost his war for the ultimate fate of mankind and destiny and ended up creating a scarier, more frightening world that was far less certain is super interesting, and Leuchtenburg really does an excellent job underscoring how dark and dirty the 20s, that era of prosperity, were because of that cynicism. People saying that friendship was more important than saving those in the Armenian genocide, the policies of Coolidge and giveaways to business and rampant credit leading to the Depression, the plight of the farmer. All of it is really well explained and I feel helped me understand this crucial period quite a lot more. For my personal research projects I think this is a great aid-loved the book, would recommend, great start to the year. I devoured it in about three hours, which is pretty goddamn impressive for my godawful attention span.

[Patrick Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perils of Prosperity tells of the changes in America over the years 1914 to 1932, where America changes from an agrarian to a manufacturing economy. It tells of forces at play in America from anarchists to Red Scare conservatives. However, it primarily sheds light on the economic excesses of this period that he claims led to the Great Depression. For what really are complex topics and ideas the book is very readable and in depth. A fine history book.

[Ruth Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is packed with information. I run a book group and Dr. Leuchtenburg and his wonderful wife attended this neighborhood gathering discussing 'Perils of Prosperity'. The pages came to life, and offered clarity of the times. He was witty, wise, and charming. Read more of his books if you want to understand history.

[Rachel Dows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. A bit technical, but the specificity lent credibility where it was needed. Well worth the read!

[m · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. Leuchtenburg totally lived-up to his advance hype. I'll definitely reread this, someday.

Hat tip to Prof. David M. Kennedy for turning me on to Leuchtenburg.

[Lacemaking Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to read it for class but I found it fascinating in its own right.

[B.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The older I get, the more my appetite for history. This is a relatively brief survey of the nineteen twenties, but one dense with names, dates, facts, and analysis. Just what I wanted.

[James Early · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid overview of U. S. history from 1914-1929

[Conner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted a quick overview of the era to dip my toes into and I got it

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Important and thorough, this book could just more visual evidence of its arguments, and to make the point more memorable.

[Andlandm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good social history of the 1920's. Very readable.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, a cultural history of the United States from World War I until the election of FDR in 1932, makes a fine precursor to the last book I read by this author, Franklin D Roosevelt and the New Deal. I hadn't know at the time of purchase (as they were bought separately) that they were by the same author, but it worked out pretty well, especially for anyone looking to find out more about how the Great Depression started since the other book tends to skip that a bit. While not as detailed as it could have been, this one focuses less on any one person and more on the era itself, as the United States became a world power despite the fact few Americans wanted it to be, and the waves of modernization were both resisted and embraced in equal measure as the country started to become the nation it is today. Worth a read for anyone interested in American history, particularly that time period.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is really well written, a pleasant read if you want to get a feel for what life was like just before the great depression and if you want to learn a little about the Red Scare and WWI. The author claims in the book that historians have determined that Sacco and Venzetti were guilty after all, but this is not true (anymore?)

[Emory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for my film/history class. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This was very well written and very informative. I learned so much about this time period that I knew very little about. I couldn’t get enough! Very glad my professor assigned it.

[Dillen · Rating 5 out of 5]

haunting

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clearly written, great information.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much about the 1920s seems eerily similar to today. Although written half a century ago, the book is still a good overview of political history of the period.

[Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging history of the mass social changes of the 1920s in the United States. After the World War shattered illusions, there were rapid changes related to farm industrialization, radio, Fords, the skyline of New York City, and of course flapper girls.

In the back, the author gives Suggested Reading: "Every account of this period begins with Frederick Lewis Allen, Only Yesterday (1931), a social history written in such a lively style that academicians often underrate its soundness....Morris's Not So Long Ago (1949) concentrates on the cultural changes wrought by the automobile, movies, and the radio." (p. 277)