The Great 1929 Stock Market Crash: A Short History

The decade after the First World War saw a period of growing prosperity and new freedoms for the average American. With help of clever bankers, brokers, and a supply of easy money the average man and woman found their path to wealth – the stock market. As moths are drawn to a flame, so were the gullible investors lured to the securities exchanges seeking to turn their pennies into dollars. For years the market just went up and up, and as the lyrics of the song of the time echoed, “Blue skies, Smiling at me, Nothing but blue skies, Do I see.” By the end of the decade the cracks in the market and the teetering U.S. financial system would engulf the stock market, taking with it, billions of dollars and the hopes and dreams of so many Americans. As reported in the New York Times the crash came quickly, “It came with a speed and ferocity that left men dazed, The bottom simply fell out of the market…” Just as if a door closed and another one opened, America went from a time of exuberance to a time of despair – the Great Depression was unfolding, spreading misery in its wake. This is the story of the men and women that rode this wild stock market roller coaster and the changes that occurred in the market as a result.
The book “The Great 1929 Stock Market Crash: A Short History” gives a concise look at the events leading up to the 1929 stock market crash and the aftermath. To illustrate the story there are numerous pictures of the people, places, and events that were part of this historic collapse. In addition the book contains: a list of reference books for further reading, a timeline of the market crash that puts the events and that period of history in sequence, and a section that contains short biographical sketches of the key individuals in the book.

30-Minute Book Series
This is the 46th book in the 30-Minute Book Series. Books in this series are fast-paced, accurate, and cover the story in as much detail as a short book possibly can. Most people complete each book in less than an hour, which makes the books in the series a perfect companion for your lunch hour, a school project, or a little down time.

About the Author
Doug West is a retired engineer and an experienced non-fiction writer with several books to his credit. His writing interests are general, with special expertise in history, science, and biographies. Doug has a Ph.D. in General Engineering from Oklahoma State University.