“There seemed little doubt about what was going to happen. America was going on the greatest, gaudiest spree in history and there was going to be plenty to tell about it.”
For many, the 1920s are still a decade that evokes a feeling of glitz and glamour. The term has most commonly been applied to the United States, a nation that emerged from the horrors of the First World War as the new global superpower. Thanks in part to the sales of munitions during the war, the country experienced record highs across the economy, and new technologies and social trends helped give off the feeling of stepping into a brave, exciting new world.
Naturally, the playing field wasn’t quite as level as some might have liked to have thought, and the rumbling resentment under the surface would explode by the close of the decade with The Great Depression, America’s first truly cataclysmic crisis. Join us at What We Reading as we bring you the most informative historical non-fiction Roaring 20s books to help you get better acquainted with everything from Al Capone to the assembly line!
Flapper: A Madcap Story Of Sex, Style, Celebrity, And The Women Who Made America Modern – Joshua Zeitz
The Roaring 20s gave rise to a new social movement that would radically change American culture – flappers. In his 2006 book, Joshua Zeitz explores the women who embraced the trend, capturing the electricity of this social revolution as it swept across the country. He guides readers through how the movement emerged, as well as exploring some of the most audacious and dizzying names to embrace it across the country.
This captivating read reveals not only how women’s growing pursuit of equality and independence impacted traditional gender roles but also how it forever changed public relations, mass marketing, and personal enjoyment.
Last Call: The Rise And Fall Of Prohibition – Daniel Okrent
Prohibition has become synonymous with the Roaring 20s. Between 1920 and 1933 the US Constitution, through the 18th Amendment, banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages across the country. It remains one of the most puzzling policies in the US, standing as the most unprecedented case of government interference in people’s private lives, and effectively led to the reshaping of the country as a nation built on crime.
In his spellbinding book, Last Call, Daniel Okrent attempts to explain how Prohibition came into existence. Exploring everything from fears around women’s suffrage to anti-German sentiment in the wake of WW1, he chronicles the groups and dividing lines that were drawn through the policy. He also introduces readers to some of the most prominent and colourful figures from the Prohibition era and how Americans found new and elaborate ways to bend the rules and carry on drinking. Delivered with wit and stunning historical accuracy, Last Call remains one of the most complete books on Prohibition ever written.
Anything Goes: A Biography Of The Roaring Twenties – Lucy Moore
What made the Jazz Age unique? Lucy Moore attempts to answer this question by putting the 1920s into context in her book, Anything Goes. A masterfully-told tale from one of the newest emerging talents in historical writing, Moore chronicles the most major political and social events from the decade.
Contrasting everything from the sparkling emergence of all-night partying and the rise of Hollywood through new artists, actors and songwriters with the urban cities dominated by crime mobs flourishing under Prohibition, Anything Goes showcases why the Roaring 20s is a far more significant era than most give it credit for.
The Great Swim – Gavin Mortimer
In the summer of 1926, four brave women would capture the world’s attention. Gertrude Ederle, Mille Gade, Lillian Cannon, and Clarabelle Barrett all travelled from the US to Europe to compete in a gruelling race to conquer the English Channel first. Back home, the press and tabloids all backed their favourite competitor, plastering them and their bathing suits across their releases as millions were enthralled by their heroism against the odds.
Gavin Mortimer utilizes first-hand accounts, memoirs, and interviews in “The Great Swim” to capture how this remarkable tale of perseverance and resilience altered attitudes toward women in sport and society.
Check Out The Best Historical Fiction Books Set During The 1920s
Bessie Smith: A Poet’s Biography Of A Blues Legend – Jackie Kay
Scotland’s National Poet pays a beautiful homage to one of the icons of the Blues genre Bessie Smith. An orphan from nine years old, Bessie Smith sang on street corners before forging a name for herself on travelling shows and signing her first record deal with Columbia Records in 1923. Through history, personal narrative, prose and poetry, Kay captures all that made the Empress of the Blues an enigmatic and unmatched force.
Powerful and inspiring, Bessie Smith is a timeless recounting of the Roaring ‘20s, a vivid biography of an incredible artist and a deep-dive into the imprint she left on the author.
The Girls Of Murder City: Fame, Lust, And The Beautiful Killers Who Inspired Chicago – Douglas Perry
Transporting readers to the crime-ridden streets of Chicago in 1924, Douglas Perry tells the true story of the murderesses who became media sensations and inspired the world-renowned musical. The Girls of Murder City brings to life the city during the Age of Jazz, and how the criminal underworld rose to the surface during this era. Readers follow “Stylish Belva” Gaertner and “Beautiful Beulah”, two women who would both shoot their lovers dead.
Terrifying and amazing the nation at the same time, men would send flowers to these women in prison, women strived to replicate their crimes for a shot at being in the limelight and their escapades would even make it onto the big stages on Broadway. One of the best Roaring 20s books for understanding how crime infiltrated American society, Perry’s work is a must-read.
New World Coming: The 1920s And The Making Of Modern America – Nathan Miller
We close our list of the best Roaring 20s books with Nathan Miller’s 2003 work, New World Coming. A perfect resource for anyone to educate themselves or others on this overlooked part of American history, Miller gives an introduction to the decade, the most pivotal events and characters who defined it, and why its legacy continues to reverberate through society to this day.
From the Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge to the Red Scare, the fight for women’s right to vote and the struggle for racial equality, it is a witty, accessible and informative overview of all the things readers need to know about.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
