Books in Amazing Decades in Photos series

Heavily illustrated with photos, this book shows how in the 1920s America celebrated like never before. World War I was finally over and Americans eagerly looked ahead. Cities grew as the economy boomed. It was the era of Prohibition, when alcohol was illegal, but people drank liquor and listened to jazz music in secret nightclubs. Bold young women called “flappers” led a culture of revelry. It was a time for heroes and villains. Pilot Charles “Lucky Lindy” Lindbergh winged his way across the Atlantic. Meanwhile, Al Capone and his gang of mobsters ruled the streets of Chicago. As the decade ended, the world faced the Great Depression. Dictators such as Adolf Hitler began seizing power. Read about the The Roaring Twenties, a decade unlike any other.

Gripping photos and text show hippies protesting the Vietnam War, astronauts walking on the moon, and Martin Luther King, Jr., leading the way to equal rights for African-Americans. These are just a few powerful images from the 1960s. It was an unsettling time for America. Soldiers battled in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Inspiring leaders fell victim to assassins’ bullets. A crisis over Soviet missiles pushed the world toward nuclear war. Yet it was also a time of triumph. The civil rights movement succeeded. Humans orbited into space for the very first time. The Beatles changed rock 'n' roll forever. Read more about the 1960s in this photo-driven book.

The 1990's economic prosperity and technological advancement are counterbalanced by a sharp rise in terrorism. Following a military and diplomatic triumph in the first Persian Gulf War, Americans focus largely on domestic issues. Despite enhanced communications via the Internet, the world is slow to react to growing humanitarian crises in Africa and the Balkans. In the music world, grunge and hip-hop dominate the scene. Through dynamic photos and interesting text, see how the 1990s were a time of prosperity and growth.

Action packed photos show how as the 1940s opened the world sank into conflict. Adolf Hitler’s troops marched through Europe. Japanese forces spread out across Asia and the Pacific Ocean. America hoped to avoid the war but could not. A surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, outraged the nation. World War II quickly engulfed the planet. Americans grimly accepted the challenge of war. Millions joined the armed services. Women worked long hours in factories and shipyards. Fierce battles raged overseas. Slowly, America and its allies scored key victories. The intense flash of an atomic bomb came in 1945. World War II ended and a new era began. Read how it all happened in the 1940s.

Poignant photos and high-interest text are used to illustrate how the Great Depression hit America like a mighty storm. Millions of workers lost their jobs. Families were forced to scrounge for food. It was the worst economic tragedy in American history. The nation forged ahead. A new president promised a New Deal for America. Franklin D. Roosevelt told Americans that they had nothing “to fear but fear itself.” He fought tirelessly to end the Great Depression. Meanwhile in Germany, Adolf Hitler and the Nazis seized power. Warlike military officers did the same in Japan. Read about the 1930s and what lay ahead.

The 2000s—the first decade of the new millennium ushered in a new age of information including the Internet and electronic media. The early years are marked by economic slowdown, political divisiveness, and unprecedented terrorism. U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq achieve their initial goals, before devolving into bloody guerrilla conflicts. International competition for energy resources escalates dramatically. The U.S. was attacked in 2001 changing the face of New York City forever. In 2008, a time of change started when Barack Obama was elected president. Through dozens of photos and text see how the history of this decade unfolds.

Experience the 1910s through this photo-driven book. Newspaper headlines in the 1910s shouted out tragedy and disaster. Read how the TITANIC sinks, World War I erupts, and a deadly flu virus kills millions. The 1910s were a frightening time in the world. Mexico and Russia slipped into revolution. America hoped to stay neutral in politics and war, but found it could not. U.S. troops first went to Mexico, then the bloody trenches of Europe. The combat of World War I was worse than any that had come before it. People called it the war to end all wars. Read about what proved to be an amazing decade in history.

Nostalgic photos capture how America reached the peak of its power in the 1950s. The United States became a world leader in business, technology, and health care. The nation experienced a baby boom. Yet, not all was well. U.S. troops fought to a deadlock in Korea. The Soviet Union took an early lead in the Space Race. Americans worried about the presence of Soviet spies. Meanwhile, a young Elvis Presley helped introduce the world to rock and roll. Rosa Parks struck a blow against racial segregation. By refusing to give up her bus seat, she spurred the civil rights movement. Read how it all happened in the 1950s, the American decade.

Through photos, captions, sidebars, and text, see how the 1900s were a time of amazing discovery. Feats covered in this book include: how the Wright brothers invented the airplane, how Henry Ford built the Model T car, and how Albert Einstein solved mysteries of the universe. These are just a few of the astonishing feats. Robert Peary set out to reach the North Pole. Thousands of workers were digging the Panama Canal. U.S. soldiers and sailors went abroad. America was becoming a world power. The 1900s helped shape the course of human history.

America emerges from its malaise in the 1980s. Meanwhile severe social, economic, and military pressures force the Soviet Union to abandon its longstanding political doctrine. The U.S. stands alone as the world’s sole superpower. Through the good times there were also bad ones—the Space Shuttle CHALLENGER exploded and the worst nuclear power accident in history occurs at Chernobyl. Read more about the 1980s in this photo-driven book.