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Last Call The Rise and Fall of Prohibition Daniel Okrent 9780743277020 Books

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Last Call The Rise and Fall of Prohibition Daniel Okrent 9780743277020 Books

Prohibition is a fascinating period of American history, and except for vague references contained in 1920s period pieces, I've never seen a non-fiction work which examines it in detail. This is just such a book.

From the years leading up to passage of the Eighteenth Amendment, the machinations (both political and social) required in order to see it through Congress and the various state legislatures, the years in which the amendment was in force, and finally the steps taken to repeal it, this book is a comprehensive guide to the subject. In addition to the historical facts and the political backdrop, the book does an outstanding job identifying and examining the numerous personalities that arose on both sides of the issue during the period in question.

Of particular interest to me was the extent of alcohol consumption prior to passage of Prohibition. According to the author, the average American adult consumed 1.7 fifths of 80 proof alcohol every week. While Prohibition put a dent in consumption, with repeal, usage returned to a rate of 1.4 fifths per week. That is a stunning statistic, especially when you consider the substantial number of teetotalers in the population.

Also interesting was the connection between the income tax and the alcohol excise tax. Prior to Prohibition, the excise tax on alcohol was the primary source of government revenue. With Prohibition, the income tax came into favor as a means of funding government operation. Some of the biggest foes of Prohibition and advocates of repeal were wealthy Americans who saw the alcohol excise tax as a method of eliminating the still nascent income tax. Silly people, thinking that a new means of government revenue would lead to a reduction in other sources. More money, more spending!

While this is a very worthwhile book and is comprehensive in its detail and analysis, I would be remiss in failing to point out that it does drag at times and can bog down in seemingly minute detail. The style is somewhat more academic than one would encounter in purely pleasure reading. Nevertheless, as an enlightening look at a seldom discussed topic, I can recommend it to anyone with an interest in U. S. history.


Tags : Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition [Daniel Okrent] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <B>A brilliant, authoritative, and fascinating history of America’s most puzzling era, the years 1920 to 1933,Daniel Okrent,Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition,Scribner,0743277023,Drinking of alcoholic beverages;United States;History;20th century.,Prohibition;United States.,United States;History;20th century.,20th century,Drinking of alcoholic beverages,HISTORY General,HISTORY United States 20th Century,History,History - U.S.,History: American,POLITICAL SCIENCE American Government Legislative Branch,Prohibition,U.S. History - 1920s,United States,United States - 20th Century,Prohibition; bootleg; alcohol; liquor; drinking; 1920s; Pulitzer Prize finalist; twentieth century; Susan B. Anthony; Billy Sunday; William Jennings Bryan; Sam Bronfman; Pierre Du Pont; H.L. Mencken; Meyer Lansky; Clarence Darrow; Joseph P. Kennedy; whiskey; port; wine; rot-gut liquor; hard cider; gin; vodka; liquors; beer; Pulitzer finalist;government interference; privacy; citizen rights; New England; New York; Baltimore; Philadelphia; Washington; Miami; Mobile; Chicago; Detroit; Cincinnati; Seattle; Los Angeles; San Francisco; New York Times bestseller; PBS; Ken Burns; War World I; xenophobia; women rights;

Last Call The Rise and Fall of Prohibition Daniel Okrent 9780743277020 Books Reviews

The ability to make Prohibition law is one of the most fascinating political and historical stories in American history. Getting the 18th Amendment passed through both houses of Congress, then 3/4 of the states, required a bizarre cobbling of alliances, from progressives to evangelicals the KKK - first to pass it, then to get it repealed.

Okrent does a brilliant job bringing to life the characters who so passionately pleaded both sides of the case, and those who became heroes and villains in Prohibition's wake. While addressing the rise of mafia, he dispenses with all the romanticism that other authors like to evoke from that era - instead giving a grim, real-life account of the repercussions of the New America. Never sensational or hyperbolic, but also never accepting of the violence or corruption.

Last Call deals far more with the politics of Prohibition than other books I've read on the subject, and does so with wit and a cast of characters that keep the reader engaged like few authors can. Short chapters and high-stakes storylines make this as much a can't-put-down drama as any good suspense novel, and I spent several nights up much later than I should've been reading "just one more chapter".
This is one of the best political strategy books I've ever read. If you want to understand how a small political or policy fringe group can leverage it's voting power to overcome large majorities, this book is a step-by-step description for how that process can be achieved. On a more entertaining level, if you've ever wondered how America allowed itself to become a "dry country," how big-time mob syndicates got their start and prospered, how prohibition encouraged Americans to disregard and lose respect for the government and the rule of law, or just wondered about the history of the alcohol industry in the United States, you will not be disappointed in this book. Daniel Okrent has a masterful story-telling style of writing, that at the same time, is very specific and factorial. The book is marvelously researched. It is a fascinating story, told by a true master of the English language. I would recommend that you read this book, before watching the PBS special on Prohibition, you'll get much more out of the video.
Prohibition is a fascinating period of American history, and except for vague references contained in 1920s period pieces, I've never seen a non-fiction work which examines it in detail. This is just such a book.

From the years leading up to passage of the Eighteenth Amendment, the machinations (both political and social) required in order to see it through Congress and the various state legislatures, the years in which the amendment was in force, and finally the steps taken to repeal it, this book is a comprehensive guide to the subject. In addition to the historical facts and the political backdrop, the book does an outstanding job identifying and examining the numerous personalities that arose on both sides of the issue during the period in question.

Of particular interest to me was the extent of alcohol consumption prior to passage of Prohibition. According to the author, the average American adult consumed 1.7 fifths of 80 proof alcohol every week. While Prohibition put a dent in consumption, with repeal, usage returned to a rate of 1.4 fifths per week. That is a stunning statistic, especially when you consider the substantial number of teetotalers in the population.

Also interesting was the connection between the income tax and the alcohol excise tax. Prior to Prohibition, the excise tax on alcohol was the primary source of government revenue. With Prohibition, the income tax came into favor as a means of funding government operation. Some of the biggest foes of Prohibition and advocates of repeal were wealthy Americans who saw the alcohol excise tax as a method of eliminating the still nascent income tax. Silly people, thinking that a new means of government revenue would lead to a reduction in other sources. More money, more spending!

While this is a very worthwhile book and is comprehensive in its detail and analysis, I would be remiss in failing to point out that it does drag at times and can bog down in seemingly minute detail. The style is somewhat more academic than one would encounter in purely pleasure reading. Nevertheless, as an enlightening look at a seldom discussed topic, I can recommend it to anyone with an interest in U. S. history.