Spirits of America: A Social History of Alcohol

By Eric Burns

Book Overview

"Thousands of years ago, before Christ or Buddha or Muhammad...before the Roman Empire rose or the Colossus of Rhodes fell," Eric Burns writes, "people in Asia Minor were drinking beer." So begins an account as entertaining as it is extensive, of alcohol's journey through world--and, more important, American--history. In The Spirits of America, Burns relates that drinking was "the first national pastime," and shows how it shaped American politics and culture from the earliest colonial days. He details the transformation of alcohol from virtue to vice and back again, how it was thought of as both scourge and medicine. He tells us how "the great American thirst" developed over the centuries, and how reform movements and laws (some of which, Burn s says, were "comic masterpieces of the legislator's art") sprang up to combat it. Burns brings back to life such vivid characters as Carrie Nation and other crusaders against drink. He informs us that, in the final analysis, Prohibition, the culmination of the reformers' quest, had as much to do with politics and economics and geography as it did with spirituous beverage. Filled with the famous, the infamous, and the undeservedly anonymous, The Spirits of America is a masterpiece of the historian's art. It will stand as a classic chronicle--witty, perceptive, and comprehensive--of how this country was created by and continues to be shaped by its everchanging relationship to the cocktail shaker and the keg.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592132146
• ISBN13: 9781592132140
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Temple University Press
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Entertaining, lucid, and very well researched

This book has a perfect balance between in depth reaserch and entertainment. It is like Barbara Holland's "Joy of Drinking" with more in depth research. Burns does an excellent job of illustrating the joys of American spirits throughout our country's history. I found the book very enteraining, especially the passages about the founding fathers and the way they used to drink. It was very helpful with the research I was doing as well. If anyone has an interest in the subject or is curious about the roll alcohol played in our country (its a lot larger than you'd guess), then they should defineitley chose this book over the others.

Charming, Entertaining and Somewhat Sobering

Burns has produced a fascinating book and demonstrated that alcohol, as well as Americans' ambivalent attitudes towards it, has been an important subtheme in American history. Breezy and energetic, the book is well organized and moves briskly through many good stories of temperance wars. A fascinating read and a reliable historical reference.

Informative, Informal History of Alcohol use in America

"The Spirits of America" covers alcohol use in the United States from roughly colonial times to the end of prohibition, with some coverage of latter developments, such as Mothers against drunk driving. I enjoyed Burn's writing style. I was surprised at how much drinking people in colonial times did, and how early in life they began. Burns devotes much attention to the several waves of temperance and prohibition movements that began in about the 1820s and eventually culminated in prohibition.

easy to read

The spirit of america described the important facts about the social history of alcohol in america and it does it with a lot of humur. If yuo are interested in broadning your knoledge it is wonderful. But if you are intersted in a thorough history that will help schoallars and atudent of the field, you should read Drinking in America by Mark E. Lender and James K. Martin which is written in a more formal fashion (but also easy to read).

Eric Burns is great

Eric Burns does an awesome job on Fox News Watch and now he does just as good a job in this book. His fascinating stories about people like Thomas Jefferson are really entertaining. Who would think that the Supreme Court Justices were drunks! Probably a lot of people based on their rulings! lolThis book goes from the beginnings of drinking in America to the endings. It focuses on the big players and even some no names who I'd never have heard of if not for this book.Even though Eric Burns is no scholar, he weaves an interesting tale. And he certainly deserves another Emmy for this one.