The Awkward State of Utah
Coming of Age in the Nation, 1896-1945
Will be published approx. on 31. October 2015
Book
Paperback/Softback
488 pages
978-1-60781-421-4 (ISBN)
Description
The half century between statehood in 1896 and the end of World War II in 1945 was a period of transformation and transition for Utah. This book interprets those profound changes, revealing sweeping impacts on both institutions and ordinary people. Drawing upon expertise honed over decades of teaching, researching, and writing about Utah's history, the authors incorporate fresh archival sources, new oral histories, and hundreds of scholarly articles and books as they narrate the little-known story of the crucial formative years when Utah came of age.
During its sometimes awkward years of adolescence and maturation, Utah was gradually incorporated into the American political, social, and economic mainstream. Urban and industrial influences supplanted agrarian traditions, displacing people socially, draining the countryside of population, and galvanizing a critical crisis in values and self-identification. National corporations and mass labor movements took root in the state as commerce expanded. Involvement in world events such as the Spanish-American War, two world wars, and the Great Depression further set the stage for entry into the modern, globalized world as Utahns immersed themselves in national politics and became part of the democratic, corporate culture of twentieth-century America.
During its sometimes awkward years of adolescence and maturation, Utah was gradually incorporated into the American political, social, and economic mainstream. Urban and industrial influences supplanted agrarian traditions, displacing people socially, draining the countryside of population, and galvanizing a critical crisis in values and self-identification. National corporations and mass labor movements took root in the state as commerce expanded. Involvement in world events such as the Spanish-American War, two world wars, and the Great Depression further set the stage for entry into the modern, globalized world as Utahns immersed themselves in national politics and became part of the democratic, corporate culture of twentieth-century America.
Reviews / Votes
"What a wonderful example of how history should be written! It is engaging, warm, and colorful."-Stanford J. Layton, author of To No Privileged Class: The Rationalization of Homesteadingand Rural Life in the Early Twentieth Century"This study represents not only a sound narrative, but puts forth excellent analysis and synthesis. A solid, positive, and needed contribution to Utah history."-Philip F. Notarianni, former director of Utah State History; author of Carbon County: Eastern Utah's Industrialized Island "A thorough, intelligent, and readable survey of Utah history."-Association for Mormon Letters "The authors write in a concise and engaging manner that leaves readers with a clear sense of what life was like during the days of mass industrialization, flappers and distilleries. History buffs searching for a comprehensive and intriguing summary of Utah's early days following statehood should look no further than The Awkward State of Utah. It is sure to both educate and entertain."-Deseret News "Entertaining, informative, and highly accessible. ...In scope and depth of Utah histories, [this book] stands alone. It offers a synthesis of hundreds of other works, illuminating a vital half-century in the state's development. Anyone interested in Utah's history will find it informative and enjoyable, including students, researchers, and the public at large."-Utah Historical Quarterly
"Charles Peterson and Brian Cannon have written a comprehensive, well-researched history, and a very readable volume of Utah's past from its beginning days in the decade of the 1890s and statehood to the end of World War II.... This well written history is appropriate for general reading as well as pointing to links for further exploration."-Western Historical Quarterly
"The authors look in detail at thou-sands of ordinary people whose lives spanned this era. The information they gleaned from many oral histories adds life and personality to the book. . . . The writ-ing style is clear and simple, making this book an understandable and enjoy-able read for all." -BYU Studies Quarterly "From a research base consisting of relevant archival materials, as well as a plethora of printed primary and secondary sources, the authors present their findings via a solid narrative. Their scope is extensive, to state the least, as they approach political, social, and economic matters from a variety of vantage points. Students of Utah and the American West, as well as political, economic, and environmental historians, will undoubtedly find much that is useful."-New Mexico Historical Review
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Salt Lake City
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
30 illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 251 mm
Width: 175 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
1021 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-60781-421-4 (9781607814214)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Peterson Charles S. Peterson | Cannon Brian Q. Cannon
Awkward State of Utah
Coming of Age in the Nation, 1896-1945
E-Book
06/2015
University of Utah Press
€29.49
Available for download
Persons
Charles S. ""Chas"" Peterson is Professor Emeritus of History at Utah State University, USA. His publications include Take Up Your Mission: Mormon Colonizing along the Little Colorado River, 1870-1900 and Utah: A Bicentennial History.
Brian Q. Cannon is a professor of history and director of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University, USA. He is the author of numerous books, including Reopening the Frontier: Homesteading in the Modern West, and coeditor, with Jessie L. Embry, of Utah in the Twentieth Century and Immigrants in the Far West: Historical Identities and Experiences (University of Utah Press, 2015).
Brian Q. Cannon is a professor of history and director of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University, USA. He is the author of numerous books, including Reopening the Frontier: Homesteading in the Modern West, and coeditor, with Jessie L. Embry, of Utah in the Twentieth Century and Immigrants in the Far West: Historical Identities and Experiences (University of Utah Press, 2015).