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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a gem of a book. Covering politics, social history, economics and many aspects of 'the American People' it not only provides a splendid read it is extremely entertaining. Some would argue that it's too detailed and too long but in order to get the Prohibition into the correct perspective I thought it essential to cover the period c.1910 to 1935 (prohibition lasted from 1920 - 1933). The author's research is meticulous, his style engaging and his 'balance' (between political, legal and even religious factions) amazing. Highly recommended.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is not the first book on Prohibition I read, but certainly it's the best so far.
It covers basically every possible aspect of Prohibition, from the way the movement started in the XIX century, to how it ended and why.
I like the first part particularly. It detailed the social, ethnic and even religious reasons why the idea of a legal prohibition of alcohol became acceptable in the United States. Many were against it from the beginning, because they thought a federal law should not regulate the personal life of citizens, but the majority finally had they way because of a tightly knotted array of reasons that spanned from social issues like actual abuse of alcohol, to (true or imagined) issues concerning race and immigrants (this part was new to me and particularly enlightening), to politics, religion and economics. I had never realised before how complex the situation was, but here it was detailed clearly, with a lot of documentation and a crisp style that made it easy to read.
The central part was the hardest for me. It goes into a lot of details about every conceivable aspect of Prohibition, from the sacramental wine, to bootlegging, to the involvement of politics and low enforcement. Some of this was already known to me, some was new, but - personally - I found it too detailed and too much of everything. There wasn't a focus, and it seemed to me as if the matter was all over the place. I did find the information interesting, but I think I'd absorbed it more easily and effectively if I'd had less of it, but more focused.
The last part was back on track. It detailed the reasons why Prohibition was finally repealed. There wasn't anything particularly new here (not as much as in the first part), but the narration followed a line, and it was easy to read and understand.
This is certainly a precious source of information for anyone interested in Prohibition in particular, and American history in general. It is well-informed and rich and generally well-written. It does focus on facts more than people and I think this is a weakness of the book. Some important protagonists of Prohibition are merely mentioned in short parts of chapters and I wouldn't even knew who they were had I not read other books on the matter. That is something to complain about, but for the rest, I found it invaluable.
It covers basically every possible aspect of Prohibition, from the way the movement started in the XIX century, to how it ended and why.
I like the first part particularly. It detailed the social, ethnic and even religious reasons why the idea of a legal prohibition of alcohol became acceptable in the United States. Many were against it from the beginning, because they thought a federal law should not regulate the personal life of citizens, but the majority finally had they way because of a tightly knotted array of reasons that spanned from social issues like actual abuse of alcohol, to (true or imagined) issues concerning race and immigrants (this part was new to me and particularly enlightening), to politics, religion and economics. I had never realised before how complex the situation was, but here it was detailed clearly, with a lot of documentation and a crisp style that made it easy to read.
The central part was the hardest for me. It goes into a lot of details about every conceivable aspect of Prohibition, from the sacramental wine, to bootlegging, to the involvement of politics and low enforcement. Some of this was already known to me, some was new, but - personally - I found it too detailed and too much of everything. There wasn't a focus, and it seemed to me as if the matter was all over the place. I did find the information interesting, but I think I'd absorbed it more easily and effectively if I'd had less of it, but more focused.
The last part was back on track. It detailed the reasons why Prohibition was finally repealed. There wasn't anything particularly new here (not as much as in the first part), but the narration followed a line, and it was easy to read and understand.
This is certainly a precious source of information for anyone interested in Prohibition in particular, and American history in general. It is well-informed and rich and generally well-written. It does focus on facts more than people and I think this is a weakness of the book. Some important protagonists of Prohibition are merely mentioned in short parts of chapters and I wouldn't even knew who they were had I not read other books on the matter. That is something to complain about, but for the rest, I found it invaluable.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book wasn't quite what I was looking for. It's very much a political and legal history of Prohibition, and I was hoping for more of a social history.
However, that said, this is an excellent read. The author's exhaustive research and mastery of his material is evident on every page, and he still finds room for interesting anecdotes and asides - which to my mind elevates this book from what could have been a somewhat dry recounting of the years 1910-1935 to something incredibly engaging. He succeeds into truly bringing into focus characters I had never before heard of, people who had an enormous impact on the Prohibition years but have somehow disappeared from history's view - like Pauline Sabin, Wayne Wheeler, Mabel Willebrandt and others.
One of the aspects I most enjoyed is the focus on the well-known alcoholic brands on today, and how they adapted and prospered throughout Prohibition - companies such as Pabst, Miller, Busch, Jack Daniels etc. Some of these companies have somewhat airbrushed their histories, so it's quite intriguing to read about their 'dirty laundry'! As is the revelation that Joseph Kennedy, JFK's father, was not a bootlegger and there is no evidence at all that he was. Even I thought he was!
However, that said, this is an excellent read. The author's exhaustive research and mastery of his material is evident on every page, and he still finds room for interesting anecdotes and asides - which to my mind elevates this book from what could have been a somewhat dry recounting of the years 1910-1935 to something incredibly engaging. He succeeds into truly bringing into focus characters I had never before heard of, people who had an enormous impact on the Prohibition years but have somehow disappeared from history's view - like Pauline Sabin, Wayne Wheeler, Mabel Willebrandt and others.
One of the aspects I most enjoyed is the focus on the well-known alcoholic brands on today, and how they adapted and prospered throughout Prohibition - companies such as Pabst, Miller, Busch, Jack Daniels etc. Some of these companies have somewhat airbrushed their histories, so it's quite intriguing to read about their 'dirty laundry'! As is the revelation that Joseph Kennedy, JFK's father, was not a bootlegger and there is no evidence at all that he was. Even I thought he was!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
An Entertaining Book About a Fascinating Subject
"Last Call" is a comprehensive study of the phenomenon known as Prohibition. Author Daniel Okrent studies what drew it into being, the life it lived and what led to its repeal. Read more
Published 18 days ago by James Gallen
A stunning book
This is beautifully written, page-turning history. The most enthralling bits of the book are the politics of prohibition: how something so improbable became possible and how it was... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mark
Last Call
A fantastic read, a real page turner.D.Okrent charts the rise and fall of prohibtion with alcarity and easy to read prose. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Geraldine
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