Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #140701 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 560 pages

Review
A summing up of the best of Terkel." -- Herbert Mitgang

Customer Reviews

Superb
I hadn't read or heard any of Terkel's work prior to reading this collection, but better late than never. There are several things that make this book incredibly enjoyable and well worth reading. The voices of the people he interviewed come across in a way that makes you feel like you're hearing them speak, and the characters of their speech and their personalities are brought to life. I hear the voices of Americans from many eras and can feel the wonder, the nostalgia, the hopes and fears of each of those eras by people who actually lived through them.

The other thing that makes this collection so meaningful and interesting is that Terkel interviewed an enormous range of people and by doing so allows the reader to view the full spectrum of opinions and ranges of experience that Americans have had over the past century. Wealthy businessmen, neighborhood organizers, con men, immigrants, farmers, soldiers, firemen, policemen, waitresses, blacks, whites, the elderly - all their voices are given equal airtime in this collection. Their diversity of experiences and opinions provides a well rounded perspective of the situations and conditions through which they lived.

Throw out the traditional 20th century American history books and pick up this Terkel collection instead.