American Folklore and Legend

by Reader's Digest Association

This chronological anthology of heroes and heroines, colorful personalities, and other prominent figures and events of American folklore retells popular stories, mingled with history, from the 17th century to modern times. Color & b&w photos & illus.

Genres: Mythology, History, Reference, Folklore, Nonfiction, American History, Short Stories

448 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1981

About the author

The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. is a global media and direct marketing company based in Chappaqua, New York, best known for its flagship publication founded in 1922, Reader's Digest. The company's headquarters are in New York City, where it moved from Pleasantville, New York.

The company was founded by DeWitt and Lila Wallace in 1922 with the first publication of Reader's Digest magazine, but has grown to include a diverse range of magazines, books, music, DVDs and online content.

Reviews

[Robby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for reference. Grandkids loved it. A fun read for me and them.

[Jennifer]

Very interesting reading but some information is clearly incorrect or bias.

[Geri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read and referred to this book for 30 years. Stories from the famous to the obscure, this book artfully brings American folklore and history to life. The artwork alone is a delight. A must for anyone who loves fiction and history.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good overview of American folklore, largely from the 19th century.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grady Hendrix posted about this book on his Instagram which led to my reading it again after decades of the book sitting in my parents' basement. The book starts with one of the contributors snipingly pointing out that this is not really folklore which is true. It's more tall tales and legends. Historical figures play a role, but it is definitely stories and no history. All the rough edges are sanded down.
Good things: This book helped inspire my love of history. I flipped through it countless times as a kid. The illustrations are fantastic. I found a lot of the stuff here still living in the forgotten corners of my brain as I read.
Bad things: This was published in 1978 so it was less a question of will there be problematic things than how problematic will it be. The book is mostly stories of white men. Non-whites are presented as stereotypes. The writers did occasionally point out that the stereotypes are a product of when the stories were first told and not a reflection of more modern times, but there were some bits that made me roll my eyes. There's a page on polygamy that started praising the virtues of the practice before saying the women didn't always like it. It also leans hard into the Lost Cause myth of the Civil War including a tale of a soldier disowned by his family for choosing to honor his oath to the USA (usually honorable men don't break vows).
The book held up better than I feared it would. I'm not sure I'd give it to a kid today, but I'd hope there's be something similar out there that covers a broader range of American stories.

[Don Heiman · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1978 The Reader’s Digest Association published “American Folklore and Legend” by editor June Polley and contributing writers John Bowman, Zane Kotker, and Wendy Murphy. The folklore source texts are based on 700+ individual authorships. The book has 405 pictures that depict folk legend themes and 24 musical score notations with lyrics. Also, the book has an exceptional index of annual State/City folklore festivals and travel guides. The folklores are captivating and reflect American history from the founding of America in the 1620s through the American space explorations of the 1970’s. The Reader’s Digest writing team and sources helped me better understand America’s future through the sagas of heroes, beliefs, braggers, superstitions and baddies that underpin the folk legends of our past. (P)

[Chris Sausler · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some really interesting/entertaining stories, but I just had too much trouble getting over how dated it was. It's pretty racist in many sections and blatantly pro-South in the Civil War section. I found I could still read it and enjoy much of it, but - as the folklore is often presented as fact - I'd be worried if it got into the hands of a younger, more impressionable reader.

[April Raine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting and entertaining tidbits, but at times disturbingly racist. Other moments offer historical enlightenment and a comprehensive perspective of the Nation's past. A lot more antidotes than folklore and legends.

[Jackie Berke · Rating 1 out of 5]

it's very dry nobody's going to read this unless they're into history. Near the end I just started skimming because it's tales I've already heard in different capacities. To condense to be put in one book should have been broken up

[Hudson]

a Great book full of great american legends.

[Crazy Art Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book soooooo much!!! I reread a lot, because it’s just super cool to learn about folklore and legends!!

[Gena Lott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty comprehensive book on American folklore and legend. Good resource!

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner! Everything that you would like to know about American folkore and more from Johnny Appleseed to the Story of the Alamo. This is a great book to pull of the shelf for some fun when you don't have that much time. Entertaining browsing like when people use browse encyclopedias.

[Jon Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm into this

[Cws]

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[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Put out by Reader's Digest. Has short bits of information, good leads if you need a jumping point, but not in depth. Meant for a YA audience.

[Jessica Clement]

very interesting

[Gina CH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book with alot of historical facts. The section on early American pirates was the best.

[Tamara aka SoMysteriousLee]

Interesting to see how ideas and mindsets have changed over the years. Some of the stories I remember from childhood, and it's a reminder of what was truly a different time.