Last call : the rise and fall of Prohibition Cover Image

Book

Last call : the rise and fall of Prohibition / Daniel Okrent.

Okrent, Daniel, 1948- (Author).

Summary:

The author explores the origins, implementation, and failure of that great American delusion known as Prohibition. His book explains how Prohibition happened, what life under it was like, and what it did to the country. It is a history of one of the most puzzling eras in American history when the Constitution was amended to restrict human behavior. In the 19th century, the U.S. was notably liquor-soaked. By 1917, some people were prepared to translate their concerns into legislative action. An intriguing look at what life under prohibition was like, what it did to the country, and how it reflected such issues as xenophobia, urban/rural tension, and the role of women in society.

Record details

ISBN: 0743277023
ISBN: 9780743277020 (hbk.)
ISBN: 9780743277044 (trade pbk.)
ISBN: 074327704X (trade pbk.)
Physical Description: viii, 468 pages, 24 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm.
Publisher: New York : Scribner, 2010.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (p. 436-453) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

January 16, 1920 -- The struggle. Thunderous drums and Protestant nuns ; The rising of liquid bread ; The most remarkable movement ; "Open fire on the enemy" ; Triumphant failure ; Dry-drys, wet-drys, and hyphens ; From Magna Carta to Volstead -- The flood. Starting line ; A fabulous sweepstakes ; Leaks in the dotted line ; The Great Whiskey Way ; Blessed be the fruit of the vine ; The alcohol that got away ; The way we drank -- The war of the wet and the dry. Open wounds ; "Escaped on payment of money" ; Crime pays ; The phony referendum -- The beginning of the end, the end, and after. Outrageous excess ; The hummingbird that went to Mars ; Afterlives, and the missing man.