From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Good War: A masterpiece of modern journalism and "a huge anthem in praise of the American spirit" ( Saturday Review). In this "invaluable record" of one of the most dramatic periods in modern American history, Studs Terkel recaptures the Great Depression of the 1930s in all its complexity. Featuring a mosaic of memories from politicians, businessmen, artists, striking workers, and Okies, from those who were just kids to those who remember losing a fortune, Hard Times is not only a gold mine of information but a fascinating interplay of memory and fact, revealing how the 1929 stock market crash and its repercussions radically changed the lives of a generation. The voices that speak from the pages of this unique book are as timeless as the lessons they impart ( The New York Times). " Hard Times doesn't 'render' the time of the depression—it is that time, its lingo, mood, its tragic and hilarious stories." —Arthur Miller "Wonderful! The American memory, the American way, the American voice. It will resurrect your faith in all of us to read this book." — Newsweek "Open Studs Terkel's book to almost any page and rich memories spill out . . . Read a page, any page. Then try to stop." — The National Observer

スタッズ・ターケルが成し遂げたのは、単なる記録を超え、無名の人々の「魂の咆哮」を文学へと昇華させることでした。大恐慌という極限下で人々がどう生き抜いたのか。多様な語り手が紡ぐ生々しい言葉は、公式記録からは零れ落ちる人間の尊厳と、その複雑な深淵を鮮烈に浮かび上がらせます。 本作の真髄は、記憶が交錯する壮大なポリフォニーにあります。個々の主観的な「声」が重なり、一つの「時代の肖像」として結実する瞬間、読者は圧倒的な生命力の奔流に触れるでしょう。これは過去の回想ではなく、現在を生きる我々の精神を揺さぶり続ける、不滅の人間賛歌なのです。