LIFE Explores the Roaring '20s

The Roaring 20s was a decade like no other, defined by bootleggers and flappers, sports greats and Hollywood stars, mobsters and the literary generation, Wall Street and the syncopated rhythms of jazz. Now, the editors of LIFE turn back time to rediscover the exuberance that defined the era, from the young men and women who lit up the speakeasies to the daredevils who danced on airplane wings and the mega-wealthy who traveled the world in ostentatious style. Go inside the bizarre experiment of prohibition and the criminal underground it bolstered and hear the roar of the crowd cheering on Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and other sports heroes. Packed with rare photos and fact-filled text, this special edition takes you back to the decade that kicked off the modern age.