BOTTOM LINE: The editors and authors of the set attempted to create a narrative coherence throughout the ten volumes
a feature that separates it from traditional encyclopedia sets on the topic. Recommended for college and university libraries serving lower-division undergraduates.
Library Journal
The impressive 10-volume set Social History of the United States divides history into eras (the 1900s, ... Read morethe 1930s) for each volume, allowing for a narrowed, more detailed examination than most offer… The set is wide-ranging and makes for a top reference pick for both high school and college-level collections strong in sociology and American history. Very highly recommended, it promises to hold lasting research value and is a particularly strong starting point for papers and classroom discussions.
Midwest Book Review
The introduction asserts that '[O]rdinary people make history,' and the set does a fine job of explaining how their actions, labor, and beliefs collectively shaped the course of 20th-century American life. Each volume covers a single decade and is divided into topical chapters ('Industrialization and Labor Discontent' in 1910s, 'The New Gilded Age and the American Social Divide' in 1990s). While the work discusses major events such as wars and elections, its focus is on how segments of the population, including workers, farmers, women, ethnic groups, and immigrants, either influenced or were affected by those events. The authors also examine popular culture and the impact of print and electronic media on leisure pursuits and consumer behavior. …This compendium provides a fascinating and informative perspective on topics often overlooked in traditional histories, making it an outstanding choice.
School Library Journal
This ten-volume set includes an excellent introduction to the topic for students, inviting them to appreciate the study of social history…Rich with images and data… Additionally, and of great value for high school students, each subject-focused chapter includes its own topical overview, timeline, description and analysis of important events…
Pennsylvania School Librarians Association
This exceptional set discusses the social history of the United States from the 1900s to the 1990s through such themes as Work and the Workplace, Radicalism and Reform, Popular Culture, Sex and Gender, and Religion. . . . For any library, high school, public, or academic wanting to increase its holdings in the field of American History, this is a needed purchase. Highly Recommended.
Library Media Connection, Starred Review
This work readily accomplishes its primary goal—namely, to offer a readable and comprehensive social history of American life in the twentieth century for a general audience. For high school and college students researching topics in numerous disciplines this would be an excellent source.
ARBA
Show Less