Book Review – One Summer: America, 1927 by Author Bill Bryson

1927. One summer. Not even an entire year, but just the five months between May and September. Some lucky readers may remember that amazing time, but most of us just know fragments of the history from books or television specials. Of course, baseball and aviation buffs will have more in-depth knowledge, but even they will enjoy the way the author weaves the events and characters into a brightly patterned, cozy blanket to lie upon while contemplating these stars of another sky. Charles Lindbergh. Babe Ruth. Al Capone. Herbert Hoover and Calvin Coolidge. Al Jolson. Sacco and Vanzetti. Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray. Names world famous in their day, names still more familiar than the last American Idol winner (except, perhaps, Snyder and Gray). If we don’t know much about them, we still know that we should, and Bryson’s book brings that fateful season to vivid life. After World War I, planes and pilots were basically worthless. The few options available included ferrying mail, barnstorming, and stunts. The idea of carrying passengers from one field to another (no airports) seemed ludicrous and non-profitable. Fatalities were far more common than successes, and the United States lagged far behind other developed countries in designing, building, and even using airplanes. Then, on May 21, 1927, Charles Lindbergh became arguably the most famous man in the world, landing near Paris, France after crossing the Atlantic Ocean non-stop, alone in his cloth-covered plane, The Spirit of St. Louis. Lured by the hope of winning the $25,000 Orteig prize offered to the first person (or persons) to fly non-stop from New York to Paris or vice versa, teams were put together, with more or less expertise. Lindbergh was considered to have virtually no chance of winning the prize, or even of flying his plane that far without help. But he did, and the American aircraft industry was galvanized, while his life changed forever. Sunnier, more likable and physically opposite to Lindbergh was the Sultan of Swat. The hard-living, hard-loving, hard-hitting Babe Ruth had his best season ever in 1927, hitting 60 home runs. This record stood until 1961, when Roger Maris hit 61 (in a longer season). The original Yankee Stadium will always be known as “The House That Ruth Built”. But not all of the newsworthy people that year were heroes. Murderers, mobsters, anarchists, eugenics, TV, and a river shared the headlines and captured the public imagination. Endless rain caused tragic flooding of the Mississippi river. Appointed by President Calvin Coolidge as head of the American Relief Administration, Herbert Hoover used his organizational skills to promote himself to presidential candidate and the presidency itself. So, which of today’s newsmakers will be remembered in 87 years? What book would you write? Go even more deeply into history: The Tilted World: a Novel by Tom Franklin Lindbergh: Flight’s Enigmatic Hero by Von Hardesty The Big Bam: the Life & Times of Babe Ruth by Leigh Montville Old Man River: the Mississippi River in North American History by Paul Schnieder

Book Review – One Summer: America, 1927 by Author Bill Bryson

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