SKU: 95090419781

Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition

Sale price$16.83 Regular price$18.70
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $4.67 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 25 - Jul 30

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

Last Call: The Rise and Fall of ProhibitionA brilliant, authoritative, and fascinating history of America's most puzzling era, the years 1920 to 1933, when the US Constitution was amended to restrict one of America's favorite pastimes: drinking alcoholic beverages. From its start, America has been awash in drink. The sailing vessel that brought John Winthrop to the shores of the New World in 1630 carried more beer than water. By the 1820s, liquor flowed so plentifully it was cheaper than tea.

A brilliant, authoritative, and fascinating history of America's most puzzling era, the years 1920 to 1933, when the US Constitution was amended to restrict one of America's favorite pastimes: drinking alcoholic beverages.

From its start, America has been awash in drink. The sailing vessel that brought John Winthrop to the shores of the New World in 1630 carried more beer than water. By the 1820s, liquor flowed so plentifully it was cheaper than tea. That Americans would ever agree to relinquish their booze was as improbable as it was astonishing.

Yet we did, and Last Call is Daniel Okrent's dazzling explanation of why we did it, what life under Prohibition was like, and how such an unprecedented degree of government interference in the private lives of Americans changed the country forever.

Writing with both wit and historical acuity, Okrent reveals how Prohibition marked a confluence of diverse forces: the growing political power of the women's suffrage movement, which allied itself with the antiliquor campaign; the fear of small-town, native-stock Protestants that they were losing control of their country to the immigrants of the large cities; the anti-German sentiment stoked by World War I; and a variety of other unlikely factors, ranging from the rise of the automobile to the advent of the income tax.

Through it all, Americans kept drinking, going to remarkably creative lengths to smuggle, sell, conceal, and convivially (and sometimes fatally) imbibe their favorite intoxicants. Last Call is peopled with vivid characters of an astonishing variety: Susan B. Anthony and Billy Sunday, William Jennings Bryan and bootlegger Sam Bronfman, Pierre S. du Pont and H. L. Mencken, Meyer Lansky and the incredible--if long-forgotten--federal official Mabel Walker Willebrandt, who throughout the twenties was the most powerful woman in the country. (Perhaps most surprising of all is Okrent's account of Joseph P. Kennedy's legendary, and long-misunderstood, role in the liquor business.)

It's a book rich with stories from nearly all parts of the country. Okrent's narrative runs through smoky Manhattan speakeasies, where relations between the sexes were changed forever; California vineyards busily producing "sacramental" wine; New England fishing communities that gave up fishing for the more lucrative rum-running business; and in Washington, the halls of Congress itself, where politicians who had voted for Prohibition drank openly and without apology.

Last Call is capacious, meticulous, and thrillingly told. It stands as the most complete history of Prohibition ever written and confirms Daniel Okrent's rank as a major American writer.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Scribner Book Company
Published: 05/31/2011
ISBN: 9780743277044
Pages: 468
Weight: 1.03lbs
Size: 8.38h x 5.50w x 1.39d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 07/10/2011 pg. 24
Christian Century 09/06/2011 pg. 32
Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 95090419781

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.4 ★★★★★
Based on 19 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
K
Verified Purchase
Kindle Customer
New York, US
★★★★★ 5
Great value!
Color: Light Grey
I purchased this for a divider in the sanctuary of our church. Making a private prayer corner.. It is way better than expected. Follow direction . When you make the "M" shape put close together. I had the letter tops to far apart and it complicated things. Otherwise it was awesome. Would definitely buy another one if needed
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2025
Q
Verified Purchase
QTEE
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 1
NO DELIVERY DO THEY EVEN HAVE THE PRODUCT TO SELL??
Size: 5 Panels, Color: Grey
There is a problem with the Seller delivering on the products sold. Or someone is selling on behalf of the seller and not being able to deliver. Purchased 3-part panels used no problem, and are nice, but we also needed the 5-panel divider. which has been promised twice for delivery and NOT delivered without explanation. We'll have to send the other back as we'll need something that match.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2026
J
Jason J
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 5
5-Panel Office Privacy Divider
Size: 5 Panels, Color: Grey
The Natwind 5-panel partition is a practical solution for creating privacy or dividing space in offices, studios, or shared rooms. Measuring 122.8" x 71", it provides generous coverage, while the foldable design makes it easy to set up, move, or store. The freestanding panels are sturdy and offer some acoustic dampening to reduce noise. A versatile and portable divider that works well for temporary or flexible room layouts. Solid quality and sturdy.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2025
K
Verified Purchase
Kindle Customer
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 3
Not bad. Not great.
Size: 5 Panels, Color: Grey
This was very heavy. It wasn't too hard to assemble but you do need two people. Sadly did not help with the noise I was hoping it would. For the money I spent I was hoping for more.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2025
J
Verified Purchase
Jayce
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 1
It has no sound insulation function at all
Size: 5 Panels, Color: Grey
I purchased this soundproof partition with the expectation of creating an independent and quiet office environment. However, the product does not deliver effective sound insulation. The ambient conversation noise outside the partition measures 50 decibels, and the noise level inside remains unchanged at 50 decibels. Given this lack of performance, I would like to inquire about the actual acoustic value of this partition. This constitutes a clear case of misleading advertising.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2025

recommand products