Hard Times

Studs Terkel's classic history of the Great Depression, now a New Press paperback.Hard Times doesn't'render' the time of the Depression or historicize about it--it is that time, its lingo, mood, its tragic and hilarious stories. Anybody who wants to know where we were and how we got to where we are now has got to read this book. --Arthur MillerInHard Times, Studs Terkel captures the Depression in all its vast complexity, assembling a mosaic of memories as told by those who faced destitution as well as those who stayed rich. The book is a gold mine of information--much of it hitherto unknown--combined with a fascinating interplay of fact and memory. It vividly illustrates the Depression's effect on those who lived through it, and shows how bitter memories can transform into a surprising nostalgia. The book ultimately serves as a huge anthem in praise of the American spirit (Saturday Review).Hard Times is an impressive accounting of our past as well as a penetrating exploration of what we remember and how this continues to inform our lives. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.