Flapper is a dazzling look at the women who heralded a radical change in American culture and launched the first truly modern decade.The New Woman of the 1920s puffed cigarettes; snuck gin; hiked her hemlines; danced the Charleston; and necked in roadsters. More important; she earned her own keep; controlled her own destiny; and secured liberties that modern women take for granted.Flapper is an inside look at the 1920s. With tales of Coco Chanel; the French orphan who redefined the feminine form; Lois Long; the woman who christened herself “Lipstick†and gave New Yorker readers a thrilling entrée into Manhattan’s extravagant Jazz Age nightlife; three of America’s first celebrities: Clara Bow; Colleen Moore; and Louise Brooks; Dallas-born fashion artist Gordon Conway; Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald; whose swift ascent and spectacular fall embodied the glamour and excess of the era; and more; this is the story of America’s first sexual revolution; its first merchants of cool; its first celebrities; and its most sparkling advertisement for the right to pursue happiness.Whisking us from the Alabama country club where Zelda Sayre first caught the eye of F. Scott Fitzgerald to Muncie; Indiana; where would-be flappers begged their mothers for silk stockings; to the Manhattan speakeasies where patrons partied till daybreak; historian Joshua Zeitz brings the 1920s to exhilarating life.
#15114 in Books Vintage 2007-08-21 2007-08-21Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.94 x 1.15 x 5.18l; 1.25 #File Name: 1400030846540 pagesGreat product!
Review
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Impressive Research and ObjectivityBy R. SchultzThis is a well-researched; temperate account of how various modern fundamentalist Islamic movements coalesced under different leaders and became juggernauts moving toward various bombing attacks and finally – 9/11.If you often just listen to the news casually; as background “Newsack;†you might not really understand the difference between such groups as Hamas; al Jihad; al-Qaeda; and the Taliban. This book distinguishes those groups by region; history; and leadership so that readers can approach currently unfolding news stories more intelligently.“Looming Tower†starts in the early1950’s with Egyptian Sayyid Qutb; telling how his ultimate martyrdom gave impetus to much of modern terrorist activity. Wright proceeds through the formation of the Taliban in the wake of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan; and on to bin Laden’s activities under the al-Qaeda banner. He tells how the latter became in effect; “a death-cult.†Enough biographical information is given about each of these leaders to convey a sense of who they were in their personal lives – of the frequent disjunction between what they did publicly and how they lived privately. There isn’t a huge amount of psychological analysis of how presumably religious people arrived at the point of justifying mass murder and suicide; but Wright does provide some insights into the process of transformation away from simple; often happy childhood days.This book is written in straight-forward reportorial style. But it includes enough telling metaphor to graphically illustrate many points. For example; Wright tells how some factions fell away from having a centralized leadership and instead organized themselves into cells. This gave them a “spongy quality; clandestine; hard to combat.†With that one word “spongy;†Wright conveys the difficulty that U.S. and allied military forces have been up against.The narrative includes some really surprising details about how Western and Middle Eastern cultures can differ in their interpretation of events. I had no idea how the Monica Lewinsky/President Clinton scandal was interpreted by many in the Middle East – and how it served to fuel further terrorist activity. Wright also tells of other instances where our failure to speak the language and realize cultural differences led to serious diplomatic and military miscalculations.The last third of the book moves quickly; almost too quickly; towards 9/11. A lot of it is told from the perspective of FBI investigator John O’Neill. There isn’t quite the measured detail here that there is the first part of the book. I felt a little hurried along. Of course; events themselves were rapidly sweeping towards the terrorists’ fearful culmination. But I would have liked to have known somewhat more about how vital information that might have forewarned us got lost in the jostling egos of FBI and CIA operatives. Well; more detail on that score might have made this book too long and was perhaps better saved for separate books.“Looming Tower†was first published in 2006; and includes an “Afterword†written in 2011. In that afterword; Wright expresses some optimism that a partial; peaceful resolution might be possible – an optimism that unfortunately doesn’t seem justified in light of recent developments.There’s a map at the front of the book showing Middle East countries’ relationships to each other; and the location of key bases of activity. Wright also provides a list of “Principal Characters†at the back of the book; reminding the reader who’s who. Despite the many names in this book; I found that I didn’t often have to refer back to that reference section. Wright provides such a clear; chronological account; it was easy to keep track of the key players.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Excellent History of al QaedaBy Adam OliverIn America we like our villains super. The popular media often paints characters like Osama bin Laden with that brush. Lawrence Wright helpfully avoids such a treatment of bin Laden without dismissing him as an inconsequential madman; which would only be half true. Wright deals with some of the intellectual history leading up to al-Qaeda without overwhelming the reader. The tracing of influential strands emerging out of Egypt was especially helpful.There are some great sub-stories intertwined throughout the book; especially about characters such as bin Laden’s father; the rags to riches construction magnate; and the turbulent lives of some of the princes of Saudi Arabia. Wright also intersperses stories of US intelligence efforts to subdue bin Laden; which he ultimately concludes fail because of perpetually elevated walls of miscommunication between the FBI; CIA; and NSA.One of the more compelling and tragic stories woven throughout is the career and personal exploits of John O’Neill of the FBI. Wright argues that perhaps he alone had the force of personality and passion against terrorism to unearth the towers plot had circumstances been slightly different. Instead; his story ends tragically on 9/11 making his contribution all the more relevant to the books narrative.This book is especially compelling in light of developments after its publishing in 2006. It would be interesting to see of post-script addressing the “Arab Spring;†the killing of bin Laden; the rise of ISIS; and the ongoing quagmire in Afghanistan (maybe my biggest critique would be the way Afghanistan is briefly painted as nearly uncomplicatedly successful; but to be fair addressing those issues would go well beyond the scope of his thesis). If you want to watch the news of today intelligently; this book will give you many foundational narratives to draw from.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Idiots Guide to TerrorismBy R. ParryIf you are looking for a book to help you understand the war on terror; the origins of 9-11 and discriminate the differences between such groups as Hamas; The Muslim Brotherhood; Al Qaeda; The Taliban; etc; then this book is for you. This book may be more relevant today than when it was originally published in 2006; because it tells the story of why and how these "movements" are created; gain momentum and rise to power. It is a well researched account of how several modern fundamentalist movements germinated under various leaders and became the political forces moving toward 9-11. "Looming Tower" starts in the 1950's with the ultimate Egyptian martyr; Sayyid Qutb; educated for a time in the United States. Wright move into the creation of the Taliban during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan; Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda. Just enough biographical background on the key players to give you insight into their personal life and personal demons. I found that Wright is a great storyteller and since he had no axe to grind; could tell a more "objective" but thoroughly gripping story. I thought the list of "Principal Characters" at the end of the book was a helpful tool ( you can't tell the players without a scorecard ). It's simply one of those books you just can't put down and may be one of the best books written on the subject. IMO; this book is a good reminder why we should support ourcommitment toward the "War on Terror".
