The America Reads series presents acclaimed books selected from notable periods in the past that have relevancy for today’s readers. Additionally, each book in the series is either appearing for the first time in trade paperback or is its first reissue in years.

The Great Depression
What were people reading during the last great economic downturn? Reading and publishing flourished during the Great Depression. Books provided solace in the face of uncertainty and tension, helping millions of Americans get through hard times. The early 1930s—when unemployment was at its highest level and fascism and bolshevism clashed—saw the publication of Lost Horizon, Tender Is the Night, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and The Thin Man. The first group of books in the new series, “America Reads,” brings together critically acclaimed titles of the Great Depression, offered here for the first time in reprint. Carefully selected for both their literary quality and reflection of the reading tastes of the period, these rediscovered gems are sure to provide enjoyment for a new generation.

The Scandal That Triggered the Bank Collapse Crisis and Gave Rise to the FDIC

Little Napoleons and
Dummy Directors (1933)
Being the Narrative of the Bank of United States
Morris Robert Werner

Available Now

$14.95, American History/Business History, ISBN: 978-1-59416-095-0, Pages: 224 Trim: 5.5 x 8, Format: Trade Paperback

“Werner’s account of the fall of the Bank of United States is as relevant today as it was over 70 years ago. The bank’s failure helped prompt Congress to create FDIC insurance and protect savers from bank fraud and corruption. This crisis is strikingly similar to the one today and the book should be required reading for everyone interested in preventing problems in the future.”
- Charles R. Geisst, author of Wall Street: A History

“A closely knit, dramatic tale whose vigorous and searching analysis reveal a characteristic product of a period of mad speculations and dizzy finance.” - New York Times

Little Napoleons and Dummy Directors: Being the Narrative of the Bank of United States tells the spectacular story of a major New York bank and its dramatic crash in 1931. Based on the revelations of the ensuing investigation and trial, the author explains the bank’s origin in 1913 as a modest, safe institution with a reputation for integrity whose character changed rapidly after the death of the bank’s founder in 1928 and takeover by his son. The story of the bank then careens into a frenzy of expansion and reckless speculation ending with the bank’s shocking decision to close its doors.

The Inspiring Story of How One Woman Saved Her Family and Farm

The Barter Lady (1934)
A Woman Farmer Sees It Through
Evelyn Harris

Available Now

$14.95, American History/Memoir, ISBN: 978-1-59416-094-3, Pages: 352 Trim: 5.5 x 8, Format: Trade Paperback

“A story of courage in the face of odds, of intelligence and energy and imagination.”
- Kirkus Reviews

“A remarkable record of courage and intelligence pitted against almost insuperable odds.”
- North American

“A contribution of real value.” - New York Times

With her husband dead, her farm mortgaged, and her five children to educate, Evelyn Harris decided to keep her livelihood and family together rather than sell out. In The Barter Lady: A Woman Farmer Sees It Through, the author relates her experiences for an entire year during the height of the Depression when she exchanged firewood for clothes, vegetables for school fees, turkeys and pears for books and magazines—and succeeded when most thought she would surely fail.

The Quest for the Lost Secret of the Incas

The House of Dawn (1935)
A Novel
Charles Elbert Scoggins

Available Now

$14.95, Action & Adventure, ISBN: 978-1-59416-093-6, Pages: 288 Trim: 5.5 x 8, Format: Trade Paperback

“As intense and gripping a tale as the reader of adventure will meet in many a day.”
- New York Times

Long before Indiana Jones cracked his whip, the adventure of fedora-wearing Malcolm McDougall thrilled readers with his story of lost treasure, poisonous blowpipes, fierce gunfights, and romance. After an ancient document reveals the location of a vast fortune of Incan gold hidden from Spanish conquistadors, McDougall leads a small party in search of the treasure. Encountering an archaeologist investigating strange tunnels full of mummies, and with the key to the mystery in their grasps, the party finds that it has been followed by a rival fortune-hunter and his gang of gunmen. A classic page-turner, House of Dawn in adventure fiction at its best.

RETURN