20Th Century category: 9982 books

Aleister Crowley is best known today as a founding father of modern occultism. His wide, hypnotic eyes peer at us from the cover of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and his influence can be found everywhere in popular culture.Crowley, also known as the Great Beast, has...

Since the dawn of children's television in the 1950s, toy companies have been keen to capitalise on the success of these programmes. Toy historian and collector Anthony A. McGoldrick here charts the history of the most successful TV toys from Muffin the Mule in the 1950s to Star Trek: The Next Generation...

In 1931 domestic service remained the largest female occupation in Britain. We view it today as an undesirable job, owing to the class divide it has come to represent, and this is reflected in the portrayals of mistresses and servants in books and on the screen. However, it was seen as the perfect...

When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, many proclaimed the start of a new Elizabethan Age. Few had any inkling, however, of the stupendous changes that would occur over the next fifty years, both in Britain and around the world. In Our Times, A. N. Wilson takes the reader on an exhilarating...

Written in the aftermath of World War I, this polemic by the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist exposes the threat to democracy posed by media bias. Walter Lippmann denounces the wartime misinformation and propaganda fed to the public by the press, calling for an honest, "spin-free" interpretation of...

From the acclaimed author of the international best seller Einstein’s Dreams, here is a stunning, lyrical memoir of Memphis from the 1930s through the 1960s that includes the early days of the movies and a powerful grandfather whose ghost remains an ever-present force in the lives of his descendants.   Alan...

A Brief look at the Pan American Exposition with Illustration by Andre Casaigne and Harry Fenn.

A brilliant and revealing biography of the two most important Americans during the Cold War era—written by the grandson of one of them Only two Americans held positions of great influence throughout the Cold War; ironically, they were the chief advocates for the opposing strategies for winning—and...

In this riveting collection, published for the first time, we follow Harry S. Truman and Dean Acheson, two giants of the post–World War II period, as they move from an official relationship to one of candor, humor, and personal expression. Together they were primarily responsible for the Marshall...

Most of the books that have been written about territorial Arizona and the southwest focus on the Indian Wars, outlaws, violent crimes, gambling, saloons, and bawdy houses. They foster and perpetuate the notion that southwest mining towns in the nineteenth century were little more than battlefields...

The publication of Portnoy's Complaint in 1969 provoked instant, powerful reactions. It blasted Philip Roth into international fame, subjected him to unrelenting personal scrutiny and conjecture, and shocked legions of readers—some delighted, others appalled. Portnoy and other main characters became...

Travel back in time to the era when Carnaby Street led the world, a golden age of youthful innovation and exhilarating pop culture, and a fashion scene that defined a generation. The 1960s was one of the most exciting fashion decades of the twentieth century, during which British pop and youth...

**“One of the best books, certainly the best nonfiction book, that I've read recently.” —Nancy Pearl on NPR’s Morning Edition    “An extraordinary achievement.” —New York Times Book Review An award-winning writer captures a year that defined the modern world, intertwining...

Connecticut's character runs much deeper than breathtaking fall foliage and quaint coastal towns. One day at a time, author Gregg Mangan chronicles fascinating episodes in state history, from the earliest European settlements to the modern era. After a lengthy debate, the state senate voted in favor...