Flapper MP3 CD – MP3 Audio, March 1, 2017

Another work of non-fiction that I read to add to my research and knowledge of the 1920s for my own novel. I’ve extolled this a few times now and its not just that the Lost Generation had become the forgotten generation. This book covers the rise and fall of the Flapper. Even if much the Flapper lifestyle has become mythical its fascinating and makes for interesting reading and has enhanced my own writing when it comes my own prohibition themed novel. I think this text is well worth the read for anyone interested in understanding the time period and one the first nationwide feminist movements in the country. It includes some decade specific information I hadn’t thought of besides the display of shaved gams the introduction of the refrigerator which improved health conditions by preventing food spoilage. There is a lot more about the decade than just the party going flapper and I recommend.

I've always been interested in the era of the flapper so this was a fun book to read. The young people of the 1920's were the first generation to be able to take full advantage of things that teens of today take for granted like movie theaters, radios, amusement parks, dance halls, telephones, vehicles etc, which completely changed the ways in which people thought and behaved. For example, the vehicle changed the Victorian rules of courtship by allowing young people to venture off alone instead of being close to home under the watchful eyes of nosy parents. Electricity was also a lot more common in this era (2/3 of households had it by the mid 20's) so this meant that people had more time on their hands for entertainment purposes since they didn't have to stay home all day cleaning and preserving foods the hard way like they did before electric vacuums, washers, and refrigeration. Aside from the inventions that caused a culture shift in the 1920, the book also talks about the people such as Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Coco Chanel, Clara Bow, Colleen Moore, and Louise Brooks who influenced the generation.I really liked the historical aspect of the book that discussed the shift from Victorian to flapper values and I wished that part had been longer since it was very interesting. However,I felt like there was way too much information about the lives of the celebrities and that part kind of took over the majority of the book. All in all though, I felt like I learned a lot and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the 1920's.

Sex, booze, and jazz. For those of you who are fans of the new “Z: The Beginning of Everything” Amazon show with Christina Ricci, I want to highly recommend Joshua Zeitz’s non-fiction book, “Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern”. Zeitz is an historian and has taught American history and politics at Cambridge, Harvard, and Princeton. He is also the author of several books on American political and social history."Flapper" spotlights the history of the Jazz Age while zeroing in on the conception of the ever-alluring flapper subculture. The book includes a look into Coco Channel’s rise to fame through her fashion empire, the Hollywood flapper starlets of the era, and the formation of the infamous Madison Avenue, whose executives helped propel the flappers' glamorous look. One of my favorite parts of the book is the interweaving of F. Scott Fitzgerald ("The Great Gatsby") and Zelda Fitzgerald's lives. They truly were the wild "it" couple of the Jazz Age and Zeitz partially credits the couple with birthing the flapper persona.I'd expect that many Americans probably would guess that the first counter-culture movement wasn’t until the 1960s. Zeitz however, pinpoints an earlier revolution in the response from Jazz-Age youth who were fed up with imposed Victorian ideals. Flappers bucked that system and were the female rebels of their time. However, the flapper subculture was short-lived and ultimately collapsed under the onset of the Depression.In conclusion, there are many non-fiction books that can become repetitive and bogged down with vocabulary. Zeitz’s work is fresh and his information and ability to weave a storylined plot through an historical narrative – which I don’t see often – kept me turning the pages. Definitely a great read, and if you haven’t seen "Z: The Beginning of Everything", I highly recommend it. Christina Ricci has literally become Zelda Fitzgerald's reincarnate. Fantastic acting. And, Joshua Zeitz, if you are reading this, when is your next book coming out? Please say it's about the history of Victorian America.

A fun and interesting read about the changing roles and expectations of women between 1880 and 1940, though it probably exaggerates the influence of flappers on the mass of American women. (Sort of reminded me of articles about the 60's that leave the impression everyone was a hippie at Woodstock or Haight-Asbury.) I particularly enjoyed small factoids such as the impact of electric street lighting on changing nighttime social activity and "dating." Definitely recommend this very enjoyable book.

Loved the historical portions of the book. Would have rated four stars but I disliked the political editorializing that would pop up at times. The author certainly is entitled to his opinion. Unfortunately his opinions are the same liberal nattering you can find everywhere else. It wasn't necessary and it was distracting.

Outstanding social history that highlights the extent of just how profound the changes were in American society. I also appreciated being reminded of the notion that in some parts of the country, the 20s did not roar, which foretold the dichotomies of today: Bi-coastal, urban America experimenting with new ideas and trends v. the more traditional and hide-bound areas of the rural hinterlands. And as the author reminds us, the party of the decade gave way to the painful hangover post-1929. Read in conjunction with Judith Mackrell's Flappers: Six Women of a Dangerous Generation, this book will provide a comprehensive treatment of one of America's most interesting decades.

okay read

So much interesting information in this book and written in a really easy-to-pick-up style. If you're at all interested in America in the 1920s this is the book for you. Couldn't put it down. Could only be improved with a few more photos.

I really enjoyed this book and read it in no time at all. It's very well written and I learned a lot about the period.I'd recommend this book to anybody interested in the Jazz Age.

If you have any interest in the emergent culture of young women in the 1920s then I would definitely get this book, in fact, I would consider it an essential reference. I have a tremendous interest in the Jazz Age and the role that women played in it and have found Zeitz's book to be one of the best on the subject. It's not just informative, it is actually fun to read, it really makes the age seem to come alive. There are profilles on writers, actresses, columnists, arists, designers and socialites - these profiles help to provide an intimate and individual counterpoint to the broader socio-cultural themes discussed in the book. You get a genuine sense of the personal changes being wrought in a fast-changing world. The writing is lively and upbeat and serves the topic well.

Very interesting and informative review of the 1920's covering the "whys" behind the revolutions of societal changes, things that don't usually come to mind when thinking about the era. Fascinating material and written in an easy to read style. I ordered it as a research book and am finding it more thought provoking than I expected, a pleasant surprise.