If you have ever wondered why everything in American Business history hapened at once, you must read this book. Allen takes us thru the history of an era where circunstances, capital and talent were present in many persons in the same country.
This book is a bible for businessmen.
It is the best history book i have read in a long long time. It reads like a novel, If you can't read it then youre too busy to learn where youre going.

Only Yesterday offers a glimpse into the nineteen twenties from someone who actually lived it. First published in 1931, Frederick Lewis Allen writes of a decade that had just past. Most historians will tell you that it takes about twenty years after a decade before you can truly come to terms with what the decade was all about. However, this was not the case with Frederick Lewis Allen's work. He was able to show the decade for what it was, a truly amazing accomplishment in 1931!

His purpose was to show future generations, what his generation considered important in defining their times. In doing so he helped create a bridge between his generation and future generations who would later conduct research on the 1920s. In fact, while studying this period one soon find out, most historical works on the 1920s site Only Yesterday in their bibliographies. In fact, a through and comprehensive study of this period is not possible unless it includes Frederick Lewis Allen's works.

Furthermore, Fredrick Lewis Allen attempted to record the social and cultural history of the times. In 1931 this was a new and different form of history. (Just about as radical as the 1920s.) Frederick Lewis Allen can be regarded as a pioneer social historian. Prior to his work most mainstream histories were based solely on politics and international affairs.

More than half of Only Yesterday is on social and cultural events, which is one of the strongest points in his book. With the exceptions of chapters two and six, "Back To Normalcy" and "Harding And The Scandals", Allen's writings are geared towards the common people and how events of the day and the cultural changes affected them. These events and cultural changes are clearly illustrated in chapters five, "The Revolution In Manners And Morals" and chapters eight, "The Ballyhoo Years". Allen was able to show his readers the major social/cultural events of the 1920s. An example is his coverage of the automobile and the "Red Scare" in the early years of the decade. Clearly his coverage of these two events are his strongest points.

His writing style deserves some mentioning. He writes in a style that allows for a multitude of readership interest areas: politics, social, cultural, industrial, religion and even sports. This is especially seen in his sometimes-humorous approach in covering certain topics. Another, great example of his writing abilities is his narrowing of a central point at the conclusion of his paragraph.

Despite his strengths in his writing and his coverage, something must be said regarding his lack of a bibliography. Without one, it weakens his work. When you find something interesting, you have no way of looking for sources. Furthermore, he was not able to pick up on the population changes taking place in the 1920s. Rural to urban population changes were not addressed, nor was the "great migration" of African American coming to northern cities addressed either. Today, one just need to be aware of these event in the 1920s, Allen in the 1930s just wasn't able, for whatever reason, to see the importance of these events.

Without any doubt, the strength of his work certainly out number his few weaknesses. I truly enjoy reading Allen's book. In the future I will revisit Allen's work for his superb writing style and his gift of narrowing his main points at the end of his paragraphs. A truly remarkable book!

This history book is written in a pleasant, authoritative but laid-back manner that makes it a particularly enjoyable read. I concur with the reviewer who wrote that it is a great source of background information to the writer. It does have a nice immediacy to it; strange fads that are mentioned in an offhand way, with the assumption that the reader will already be familiar with them, only add to the charm. The last couple of chapters about the stock market are particularly interesting reading, particularly considering the bizarrely similar economic climate we are living in today. They are, thankfully, written in a straightforward and clear manner --- perfectly accessible to those of us who don't have an economics background. One beef with this paperback edition --- where are the lovely illustrations from the original addition?

Never had I read a "history" book with the charm this book has!

Written in this manner, history does not have to be a dry, dull boring subject. It also succeeds in teaching a valuable lesson - people never really change.

Very good account of the historical events of America in the 1920's. The vivid description of the period enables the readers to "live" through that time again. The change of collective mentality is another focus of the book. For example, it reflects the general public attitude towards the war that is outside of their continent.

Therefore this book have given me a lot of insight of how USA comes to be what it is now. And moreover, it can be read as a FORWARD-LOOKING book: the Globe is closer to the blink of Great Depression than ever. We can spot a lot of parallel between US then and US now: speculation of real estate, stock; the style of the media (aren't they all interested in soapie-like story?). As well, we can spot all the syndromes in our current econ situation that were present in US in 20's. If the world leaders cannot learn from History and steer the course correctly, we will soon dive into the merciless age of depression again, and soon someone else will follow the author and wrote us a book of World in 90's, "Yesterday Once More"(?!)

This engaging account of the 1920's is an especially remarkable book given the year it was written: 1931. With remarkable detachment and prose which has stood up to the test of time, Frederick Lewis Allen wrote about the 1920's just after the decade had ended. Writing in a voice that is half that of a journalist and half that of a historian, Allen covers everything from presidents and presidential politics, to prohibition, the economy, sweeping social changes, the coming of mass media through radio, syndicated columnists, and increased attendance in movie houses; the red scare, the rise of business and science in popular esteem, religion, and a variety of other cultural and social events and trends. The modern era, it could be argued, began on Armistice Day, 11/11/1918.

The trends and issues of the post-World War I decade resound with amazing familiarity today, at the dawn of the 21st Century. Through reading Allen's account the reader is reminded that McCarthyism that oft referred to "ism," was hardly the invention of McCarthy, nor was it unique to the late 1940's and 1950's. A red scare based on hysteria and fear proceeded "McCarthyism" by a good thirty years. The red scare that was brought about by the Bolshevik Revolution was ferocious in its intensity. Fanned by the winds of a handful of true radicals, the red scare that came immediately after the war was characterized by labor unrest, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, the trampling of any ideas or books that had a hint of "Bolshevism," mass deportations of Communists (or suspected Communists), and the waiving of due process under law with mass arrests.

Allen says the big red scare faded quickly, as it became all too evident that there really wasn't much Communist or Bolshevik subversion to begin with. Also, the country was ready for The Next Big Thing. "Only Yesterday" details a series of manias that swept the country in the twenties. One of these manias was a revolution in morals. Here too, the reader of the year 2000 is reminded that the sixties and early seventies were not the only time period of a sexual revolution in twentieth-century America. The post-war decade of the twenties was a dramatic precursor to what came later, and an important breaking off point, for many at least, from Victorian mores.

Tired of Wilsonian idealism and weary from the First World War, American's were starved for a return to "normalcy." From Marion, Ohio, Warren Harding seemed like just the man to succeed Wilson. Harding was swept into the White House in what would be the beginning of twelve years of Republican rule from Pennsylvania Avenue. No great intellectual, Harding was a genial man and the country took to him. Meanwhile, as it would be revealed after his timely death, Harding ran one of the most corrupt administrations in the nation's history. The scandals came to light after Harding died and the moralistic (although not necessarily idealistic) Calvin Coolidge was just the man for the times. The "Coolidge Prosperity" is aptly named in that most of the 1920's were good times economically for all but a few sectors of the economy. Coolidge ran the country with a maxim of what was good for business was good for the country. If he had any ideology that was probably it.

The most capable of the three Republicans, or at least certainly the brightest, was Herbert Hoover, elected at the height of the Coolidge prosperity. Hoover was in office just over six months when the bubble burst The stock market-fueled by speculation-crashed, followed soon by a general economic collapse.

With the Scopes Trial, sports mania, and the introduction and popularity of radio, the nation went from one craze to the next. Whether it was anti-Bolshevism, or stock market mania, these were all national manias with the help of new forms of communication as well as new ways of mass manipulation by editors and announcers. Allen's "Only Yesterday" gives the reader a good feel for the events and trends of the 1920's, as seen by a man who had just lived through that decade.

This is exactly the type of history book I like to read. The subject matter is brought to life in a way simply not found in other authors. It reminded me quite a bit of Howard's Zinn's "A People's History of the United States" because I read that first and I wonder if Professor Zinn took a hint from Mr. Allen's style because they are very similar.
I will remember events, people and places in this book long after I am done reading it (for a college class) simply because of the way the author seems to be talking directly to you.
It is as if you are just sitting down for dinner, or a chat, and he's laying out the 1920's to you because you asked.
I am throughly impressed with this book and I am glad my Professor exposed me to it. I recommend it to anyone who has ever wondered what the "Roaring 20's" were all about.

This book, published in the early 1950's, summarizes the changes to our society during the first half of the 20th century. Comparing these changes to those of the second half, it can be inferred that the pace of historical change has actually slowed down. The world is actually becoming more stable. A fascinating perspective on modern times

Well, this book was recommended to me by a teacher who was surprised by the fact I went through my US History class without learning much about the first half of the twentieth century. I only knew about the New Deal & FDR. This book is wonderful. It gives a more colorful perspective on the first half of the twentieth than a textbook could ever and what's ironic is it doesn't talk about the New Deal as much as my US History teacher did. From this book, I've learned more what America was like and who were the truly big movers and shakers, and it wasn't always the president! If you like history and you want to read something from someone who actually lived through the "big change" (and want to read something less formal that a textbook and chuckle about situations of the past), I truly recommend this book. What's even more ironic is the book I have was one of the original copies which only cost 85 cents. Now it's up to about $25. For a paperback! What a change!

Nice piece of work that does a good job of tracing the transformations that took place in the first half of the century. I found an old copy at a bookstore for $20 in mint condition...on-line you may find it cheaper at an auction. Writing style is a bit dry, so the book does plod in some places. Still, a good starter for anyone wanting to better understand the growth of the USA from rural/isolationist to global superpower.