Books with author Thomas Hischak

What brings the past alive better than stories performed by live actors? The 25 plays in this collection are short theatrical pieces that aim to bring to life moments in American history from the early nineteenth century to the 1970s. Most of the characters in these plays are not famous figures or even factual people. They are ordinary Americans who did not make history, but rather, lived it, and we can learn a great deal by experiencing the past through them. Each play runs between eight and ten minutes, and cast sizes range from two to eight. The plays can be read aloud, simply staged in the classroom, or fully staged with the help of complete set and costume descriptions included with each scene. To enhance the educational value, each play includes background information of the historical situation as well as an aftermath that explains what happened after the dramatized event. Ideal for middle school or high school drama classes wanting more relatable period pieces or for American history classes wanting to make past events and times real for today s students, these engaging scenes capture the essence of the American spirit of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The first solo transatlantic flight. The release of the first talking picture. The invention of the jukebox. These are just a handful of milestones that occurred in one momentous year. In a decade of historic firsts, 1927 stands out as the peak year of the Roaring Twenties, a span of time in which dozens of significant events took place—in America and around the world. The economy was booming, the Jazz Age was in full swing, social mores were looser than ever, and the nation was celebrating new dances, gadgets, and heroes. In sports, records were broken, and several champions in different fields thrilled fans with outstanding feats.In 1927: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of the Jazz Age’s Greatest Year, Thomas S. Hischak provides a daily account of this pivotal period in history. Every major news story—on the national and international stage—is accounted for, from popular culture phenomena to minor news items that would prove to be more important later. In addition to Charles Lindbergh’s historic flight, the book recounts such events as the discovery of the Peking Man, the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti, the Shanghai Massacre, the Great Mississippi River Flood, and the advent of talking pictures with the arrival of The Jazz Singer. From the world of entertainment—the debut of the classic musical Show Boat and the formation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—to headlines that gripped the country, this book focuses on a diverse and complicated year. Scattered throughout the book are interesting statistics and pieces of information regarding life during this era. Highlighting the people, inventions, discoveries, and milestones that made these twelve months so special, 1927 will appeal to armchair historians everywhere.

The first solo transatlantic flight. The release of the first talking picture. The invention of the jukebox. These are just a handful of milestones that occurred in one momentous year. In a decade of historic firsts, 1927 stands out as the peak year of the Roaring Twenties, a span of time in which dozens of significant events took place—in America and around the world. The economy was booming, the Jazz Age was in full swing, social mores were looser than ever, and the nation was celebrating new dances, gadgets, and heroes. In sports, records were broken, and several champions in different fields thrilled fans with outstanding feats.In 1927: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of the Jazz Age’s Greatest Year, Thomas S. Hischak provides a daily account of this pivotal period in history. Every major news story—on the national and international stage—is accounted for, from popular culture phenomena to minor news items that would prove to be more important later. In addition to Charles Lindbergh’s historic flight, the book recounts such events as the discovery of the Peking Man, the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti, the Shanghai Massacre, the Great Mississippi River Flood, and the advent of talking pictures with the arrival of The Jazz Singer. From the world of entertainment—the debut of the classic musical Show Boat and the formation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—to headlines that gripped the country, this book focuses on a diverse and complicated year. Scattered throughout the book are interesting statistics and pieces of information regarding life during this era. Highlighting the people, inventions, discoveries, and milestones that made these twelve months so special, 1927 will appeal to armchair historians everywhere.