What was going on in the 1930's?

Question

I know the great depression, when ended when? Was there any books published? What were they, and what were they talking about.

Answer 1

Technically, the great depression did not end until 1942, as WWII pulled us out of it.

You could tackle "Grapes of Wrath" for a view of the depression

Answer 2

WWI

Answer 3

The policies of FDR was slowly bringing the US out of the Depression, but WWII brought the economic force to get the country over the hump (1939).

There were many books, famous books, published about it at the time.  

Some of the novels of this period explored what was happening in the country during the Great Depression.  John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath chronicled the life of a displaced Oklahoma family who had lost its farm to the drought of the Dust Bowl.  James T. Farrell wrote a trilogy of novels about an Irish-American named Studs Lonigan and his attempt to rise above his poor beginnings.  Richard Wright took on the issue of racial prejudice and the plight of blacks in Native Son. Erskine Caldwell's novel Tobacco Road described the life of poor whites in the rural South.  All four of these works were cited on the recent Modern Library list of the top 100 novels, in English, of the 20th century.

There were notable works in other forms of literature.  The poet Carl Sandburg published his poem "The People, Yes" in 1936.  Ogden Nash wrote light verse for the New Yorker magazine.  Dr. Seuss delighted children with his rhyming books for youngsters learning to read.  Wallace Stevens' collection of poetry, The Man With the Blue Guitar was published in 1937.  The public speaking instructor, Dale Carnegie, in 1936 penned the book whose title How to Win Friends and Influence People was to become a part of the language.

Answer 4

There was also Prohibition and the gangsters like Al Capone, Pretty Boy Floyd, etc., etc.  Also Bonnie and Clyde.  Some of the great authors of that time were John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and many others who wrote many excellent books about that troubled era.  Most of those are classics now and well worth reading.

Answer 5

The people were feeling the pressure of becoming an industrialized counttry. workers were being exploited and capitalism was beginning to take hold.

Answer 6

Both the U.S. and Germany were suffering through economic depression.  The Soviet Union was being lead to the slaughter by Stalin -- who was busy gutting his military of it's top generals.  Yes, there were books being written.  Gone with the Wind, The Great Gatsby, and Tarzan were some of the biggest.