My American Century

by Studs Terkel

Pulitzer Prize-winning oral historian Studs Terkel's "greatest hits." Terkel's oral histories have been enjoyed by millions of Americans, and have earned him a Pulitzer Prize, induction into The American Academy of Arts and Letters, The National Humanities Medal, and The National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, among other honors. My American Century collects the best of his interviews and the introductions from each of his eight classic books, along with a major new introduction to Terkel's work by Robert Coles. It is a both stellar collection of portraits and a panoramic chronicle of America from the 1920s onward.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Journalism, Oral History, Essays, Anthologies

532 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Louis "Studs" Terkel was an American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for "The Good War", and is best remembered for his oral histories of common Americans, and for hosting a long-running radio show in Chicago.

Terkel was acclaimed for his efforts to preserve American oral history. His 1985 book "The Good War: An Oral History of World War Two", which detailed ordinary peoples' accounts of the country's involvement in World War II, won the Pulitzer Prize. For "Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression", Terkel assembled recollections of the Great Depression that spanned the socioeconomic spectrum, from Okies, through prison inmates, to the wealthy. His 1974 book, "Working" also was highly acclaimed. In 1995, he received the Chicago History Museum "Making History Award" for Distinction in Journalism and Communications. In 1997, Terkel was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters. Two years later, he received the George Polk Career Award in 1999.

Reviews

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I count myself a Studs Terkel fan. That said I have a reservation or two about The Studs Terkel American Reader: My American Century. (Paper Back Edition). Terkel is at his best letting American speak for themselves. His skill is at helping them to open up and asking a minimal number of questions. What is best about this collection is variety of American that tell their story. The total read feels a bit loaded as if Studs had chosen from a more balanced group to insure that one of his last collections would reflect his personal concerns.

If you know anything about Chicago born writer and Radio personality Studs Terkel he was a liberal. Old school union type liberal. He was humanist and more than anything interested in people. Chicago people in particular, Americans in general and pretty much anyone who would let him record and publish. Yes he edits, but history is edited. What comes through are the personal stories, beliefs and living priorities of the people in his books.

Reprinted in My American Century are his picks from seven previous collections. The major chapters are from each collection, but not bound together in chronological order. He has sections from people who spoke with him about the time of the depression and ends with people who, like himself lived through the intervening years.

Almost no one is a household name, but the breath of people represented is itself breathtaking. From Gangster Doc Graham.; one of the funniest, until you realize he is talking about murdering real people to Wartime Marine E. B. Sledge (With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa). Cook, waitresses, Cops and Firemen are all here. One of the top .1 per centers and labor strikers and strike breakers. America is here represented.

If there is one theme; it is the unevenness and disparity in in access to the American Dream. Some people do make it. None make it by themselves, even if they do not dwell on who and how they were helped. Others make it clear that there is more at play than the vagaries of random chance. Hard work is rarely enough for the select few and is never enough for the rest.

Over and over again, in the Dream (1980 collection), Division Street (1967) The Divide (1988) and indirectly in almost every other section the major theme is the inequality in the access to and achievement of any abiding sense of economic security. Great wealth is not what most of these people want. They want to be secure in their homes and in their jobs. None ask for a life of ease, most want some minimal level or respect and certainty.

If Terkel’s goal was to have his reader be inspired by what American can do, for themselves and each other. I did not get it. Too many of these people seemed to be alone in their hopes. Many are aware that help arrived in the depression but maybe not so much since then. Terkel reminds us that help has kept more people alive than it has taught to ride free. Beyond that he does not portray an America nearer an age of a secure working class.

[RYD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Studs Terkel, who represents an era of American that is, unfortunately, long lost. I wish there were a hundred of him today.

[Larraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a while to read this book. I read just a little bit every evening. Then when it got down to less than 100 pages, I decided to just buckle down and finish it. The book is a collection of what Terkel saw as his best of the best: The Dream, Hard Times, The Good War, Division Street America, The Divide & Coming of Age. Terkel was one of the masters of the oral history. He interviewed hundreds of people at different times. Whether he's talking about the Depression, WWII, race or old age, he brings a unique perspective because he lived through these times and lived to a ripe old age himself. To be honest, I had the hardest time with the last part about Coming of Age. It made me uncomfortable because, at my advanced age, I see the same complaints that those people made then: not being respected, being treated as if you are stupid, having younger people just look right through you.

In a discussion recently on Facebook, a man mocked me with comments like "Do you need your Metamucil? Have you taken your nap today?" Since I seldom nap unless I am ill or haven't slept well & really have never needed anything to help my bowels work properly, I was shocked. Another person asked me if I had ever been anywhere other than to go across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge heading to the shore. When I told him I had lived in two different states, had visited nearly all of them at one time or another and had lived in Germany plus visited 18 countries, he had no response.

This is an interesting book if you want an overview of Terkel's work. I have some old copies of his books which I will probably get around to reading one of these days. What struck me as interesting, among other things, (because there is so much interesting stuff in this book), was talk about race and Reagan. More than one person opined that Reagan had made it ok to denigrate people racially again. Now we are hearing that about Trump. Let's not forget Bush1 and Willy Horton though. It seems to be uglier and more out there than ever though. Some say it's a reaction to an Obama presidency. If so, that says a lot about our country, and that's not a good thing.

[Jolin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a "best of" Studs Terkel's most influential works. Terkel's writing showcases ordinary people and reveals what life is like for them through taped interviews he transcribes and seamlessly knits together. Mostly his chapters feel like monologues--almost as if people living at key points in history suddenly reflected on their times and what has seemed most important. For purists, this collection may be leaving out some great moments from the other books. This collection is a great place to start with Terkel, an American treasure.

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff. The only other book of his I'd read was Working, plus listening to some of his interviews here and there. This one is his "best of," with interviews from all his books plus the introductions to each book. The net result is a higher percentage of direct Terkel writing than usual, which is okay by me. It really is a decent social-historical glance at the century, and he's so good at getting good details out of people.

[Tyler McGaughey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overwhelming, but enriching. Studs is all about labor unions, and racial injustices, and the hand-holding-helping days of the early 20th century, and progessive ideas, and hope. This book goes well with a side dish of Pete Seeger, because their concerns are awfully alike. More importantly, both use(d) their own voice to lift up the common, collective voice, Pete in his concert sing-alongs and Studs in the oral histories collected here.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, because I love people telling their own stories. The intros written by Studs himself were too long and unfocused in my opinion. Also, the vast majority of entries focused on class. Class is an important issue in America and everywhere else, but come on, it isn't the only issue. I got really bored of reading whether somebody was rich or poor and skipped a lot of stories for this reason.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this reader is good for my students, the excerpts are frequently too short and don't include some important interviews. The excerpt from Race doesn't include the prologue by Mamie Moblie, Emmit Till's mother. It's probably good for Terkel newcomers, but if you're interested in one of the eras or events or topics he covers, I'd recommend reading the full book.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Terkel's historical documentary composed of personal stories and memoirs from people all over the country. Most stories tell of major historical events, such as wars or the Depression. Interesting to read everyday people's accounts of major life events. Nice to pick up and read a story or two every now and then.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful compilation of some of the great interviews by Studs Terkel. At times moving and at others infuriating, a priceless look into the lives of ordinary Americans throughout the century. I recommend skipping the introductions to each section, because they "spoil" some of the great quotables and personalities from some of the interviews.

[Ronn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is made up of selections from Terkel's other books. I think I would have liked it even more if instead they had collected some of his magazine, newspaper articles, and other pieces, like album liner notes. But it is what it is, and that's always good. It can be argued just how good a writer Terkel was, but he was definitely the best listener ever.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Studs Terkel is simplly amazing. I need to read more of his books (if anyone has any they'd like to donate). Not to sound trite, but he truly is an American treasure. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Studs Terkel, writer, philosopher, interviewer and lecturer has served up a great feast that makes me feel overstuffed. Sometimes I wanted to swallow it up so the words would become part of me and help me grow. Sometimes I wanted to pass, "No thank you, I'm allergic."

[Tim Thrailkill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Studs' chronicles of America have preserved tales of everyday America , the toils, aspirations, dreams and voices. Clearly an influence on Ken Burns, Terkel's missives paint modern America for the reader in a kaleidoscope of the lives of yesteryear.'

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This deserves a higher rating for importance, but I found the experience of reading it difficult. The subject matter is better suited to audio, and I'd recommend sticking with his individual books (like WWII) rather than the compilation.

[Joseph Weyek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of the interviewees' stories. Some of them are assholes. Oh well. I'm bad and judgmental. Terkel makes obscure references at times. In the future most people won't understand them. He's not very bright, but he made of living doing what he did. Hurray for Studs.

[Tony]

I found the translation (for lack of a better term) from oral story telling to the written word distracting. No stars to give.

[Leonard Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Studs Terkel is a national treasure, and this is as good a place as any to start with his trademark oral histories.

[Cheryl]

I dig Studs Terkel and the discussion at book club was great, but, yeah, did not read this at all. studs rode in the car with me for a month, tho. He was a good passenger.

[Mary Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories and oral histories were really interesting, but too much Studs - he sounded like a cranky old man.

[Noreen Henry]

Fantastic book told in Studs down to earth style.

[Steven]

Did not finish, not due to quality, due to life.

[Beth Shields-Szostak]

signed & inscribed by author; pages are bound in correct order but inserted upside down

[Chris Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting, but fragmented read.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this classic by Studs Terkel over a period of several years, and finally finished it!

[Chris Heim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about this book 50-100 pages in, but eventually got used to the style of the book. Following Terkel's trademark, this book is a collection of interviews with ordinary Americans across the 20th century. It covers a variety of major time periods (The Great Depression, WWII, the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and the 1980's) and includes a diverse set of voices among the interviewees. Terkel's own commentary at the start of each section is both interesting and well-written. While it would be a stretch to say that there was much of any kind of surprise in this book, it was still interesting to read the words of his interview subjects on topics that spanned most of the century in which I grew up (even if I didn't experience most of the events myself). If you are interested in 20th century American history, I think you would enjoy this book, too.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great compilation of Studs' various works, although all of the sections felt a bit incomplete outside their original format. But this one's strength is its ability to weave the strands of Terkel's thinking - and the thoughts of his many interlocutors - into a cohesive whole. Worth reading especially if you're just getting into Terkel's work or if you've read all of it and just want to revisit some of his best interviews.

[Patrick Crowley]

All of the collections are interesting, but I think Working had my favorite selections. I'd be most inclined to read that one in its entirety. I like the Greatest Hits format and the variety.

[Randall DeVallance · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing better than reading Studs Terkel's interviews is getting the chance to listen to the recordings. A true man of the people, an old-school, union liberal who was just as comfortable interviewing captains of industry and famous artists as he was factory workers, nurses and cab drivers. He had a gift - rare among interviewers - of asking just the right questions to bring the subjects out of their shell, then standing back out of the way

[anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible overview of key pieces of 20th century American history. I can't wait to read more.