The Great Illusion: an Informal History of Prohibition by Herbert Asbury

The Great Illusion: an Informal History of Prohibition by Herbert Asbury

An absorbing and at times ironical humorous picture of the battle of Prohibition. Recommended. -- Library Journal
With the passing of the Volstead Act, the United States embraced Prohibition as the law of the land. From 1920 to 1933, the well-intentioned ban of the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors gave rise to a flourishing culture of bootleggers, gangsters, and corrupt officials. This witty and perceptive history by Herbert Asbury, the bestselling author of The Gangs of New York, offers a wide-ranging survey of the Prohibition era that covers not only twentieth-century events but also the movement's inception in colonial times and its transformation into a religious crusade.
A considerable portion of Americans viewed the end of liquor trafficking as an act of obedience to God's will and anticipated a new era of peace and prosperity. Instead, a vast criminal network of black market profiteers took root, promoting a spirit of lawlessness throughout the country. The Great Illusion charts all aspects of the period's moral decline, from the activities of rumrunners who supplied speakeasies to those of crooked politicians and police who profited from the failed experiment of Prohibition.

Herbert Asbury, a writer in the early twentieth century, created a name for himself by photographing the underbelly of New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and New Orleans, where gangs, pimps, prostitutes, and thieves thrived. His paintings are frequently recognized as the best photographs of his time period, despite the fact that they are still in print after seventy-five years. Martin Scorcese's 2003 film The Gangs of New York was based on the book.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780486824680
ISBN 10	0486824683
Title	The Great Illusion: an Informal History of Prohibition
Author	Herbert Asbury
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Dover Publications Inc.
Year published	2018-08-31
Number of pages	352
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.