The New Deal shaped our nation's politics for decades, and was seen by many as tantamount to the "American Way" itself. Now, in this superb compact...
read full description
reviews
Dec 09, 2008
Ginger
rated it: 
The title is definitively appropriate. It's a 130 page summary of the causes immediately leading to the Great Depression, the social climate, and then what the Roosevelt Administration did in response to it. It reads like the extended version of a 101 level college textbook chapter. It covers A LOT of ground in very short time so it's pretty hard to hold onto the specifics and the lists of New Deal acronyms gets weary, but the refresher was definitely helpful. You can't go over this informat
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Sep 29, 2010
I read this guy's blog regularly (economic historian at UC Davis), and am obsessed with the stimulus debate, plus I'm working on a research project about 20th C debt in the US. So this is a natural choice. Plus, it's "very short." On his blog, he tags his discussions of current New Deal/Keynes/FDR debates "New Deal Denialist Truth Squadding." He's smart and funny. With killer stats. In case you're curious, he's of the opinion that the New Deal worked, and his numbers prove it
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 24, 2009
Jack
rated it: 
A fine overview of the Great Depression and New Deal, as the title makes plain. As it's meant to be "very short," lots get missed. As I'm not an economist I can't argue about the finer points of their arguments about why the Great Depression started and what impact the New Deal had on the Depression. Rauchway does seem to do a fine job of bringing in a lot of the major points of those debates. He seems to discuss the left-wing critiques of FDR and the New Deal more than he does the
More...
Aug 21, 2011
Will
rated it:
When George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to fulfill it," he must have been thinking about the sorts of political leaders we have today (2011) as Republicans and some Democrats seem determined to repeat the errors of that earlier time. Those who espouse looking forward only, it can usually be seen, are eager to avoid responsibility for what lies behind. And so it is today. Looking backward, or learning from experience, is what intelligent people do, in or
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 09, 2011
Tim
rated it:
This is a 'very short introduction' in Oxford's useful series of that name. It is a simple guide to the defining event of the US' twentieth century - the New Deal that arose out of the Great Depression. It is also the story of a conservative politician [FDR] quite capable of radical rhetoric. His electoral achievement in 1936, taking every State except Maine and Vermont, was unparalleled since Munroe in 1820.
Rauchway references JK Galbraith once and Galbraith is not to be found in th More...
Rauchway references JK Galbraith once and Galbraith is not to be found in th More...
Mar 26, 2011
William
rated it:
This is a helpful volume and a good place to start your reading on this subject. In so brief a volume, however, the author has focused mainly on the legislative history of The New Deal. If you want a narrative about how the Depression affected the day-to-day lives of Americans (and I did), you won't find it here, except in the briefest and most abstract terms, though you might try David M. Kennedy's FREEDOM FROM FEAR: THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN DEPRESSION AND WAR, 1929-1945.
Sep 09, 2011
Rachel
rated it:
A fairly clear and concise read, it was on my reading list for a History class I was taking about the Transformation of Modern America. I thought there were a few holes and you could tell it was only a brief introduction, but overall it was easy to get through and well written.
Sep 23, 2010
The Great Depression and the New Deal: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Eric Rauchway (2008)
Sep 27, 2010
Lori
rated it: 
The book lived up to its name--a very short introduction to the subject matter. Although no fault of the author, I became bogged down in all of the legislation related to the New Deal. I would have liked more of an explanation of what led up to the depression. Overall, a good quick read.
Nov 08, 2009
Mike
rated it:
It certainly lives up to its subtitle... although the editors cheated a bit by using really tiny type... anyway, a decent read for students of history and for those trying to get a handle on our current macroeconomic debates, re: "stimulus" etc.
Jul 20, 2009
Maura
rated it:
Highly recommended for those who want a brief but fairly comprehensive overview of the Great Depression. I was not aware of how closely it hewed to our present day situation. I am now interested in reading the transcripts for the fireside chats or an FDR biography.
Nov 10, 2008
Ed
rated it:
Good short guide to the past that is so relevant to us today.
Scaringly mirrors our current situation. Those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it: and as Marx said: the first time its tragedy, the second time farce.
Scaringly mirrors our current situation. Those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it: and as Marx said: the first time its tragedy, the second time farce.
Jan 05, 2009
Pete
rated it:
lucid, non-dogmatic recap of fiscal policy and politics from 1929-WWII. Totally useful for planning your response to the nu-metal great depression of 2008-whenever it ends.
Nov 15, 2008
As heard on the NPR Books podcast: Laura Conaway describes it as "required reading".
Apr 30, 2011
HBalikov
rated it:
Succinctly crafted. No attempt to draw parallels to our own decade 2000-2010 but they are there!
A terrific foundation for a good discussion.
A terrific foundation for a good discussion.
Apr 03, 2009
Dan
rated it:
If you want to a reflection of the current state of affairs, pick up this short read.
Feb 11, 2012
Feb 06, 2012
Jan 19, 2012
Jan 14, 2012
Jan 18, 2012
Jan 04, 2012
Jan 01, 2012
Dec 24, 2011
Dec 14, 2011
Dec 12, 2011
Dec 10, 2011
