Annotated Bibliography Primary Sources Armstrong, Louis. Swing That Music. Ed. Horace Gerlach.

New York: Da Capo Press, 1993. Louis Armstrong was an author, actor, singer, and enormously talented musician whose improvisations of jazz on his trumpet and with his band exposed the world to Swing. He wrote a later biography, Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans and had many hits that sold millions of records. These hits included: We Have All the Time in the World, Stompin at the Savoy, You Rascal You, Aint Misbehavin, Dream a Little Dream of Me, When the Saints Go Marching in, What a Wonderful World, and Stardust. This book is written in the first person, as it is an account of Louis Armstrongs life told by the artist himself. Published in 1993 by Da Capo Press, the book is an unabridged republication of the edition published in New York in 1936 and focuses on Louis Armstrongs life experiences and music during Swing era in the US and abroad. Its intended audience is anyone interested in learning about his Swingin years and music. The book is written from Louis Armstrongs point of view about his own life, so its biases derive from his love of Swing music as one of its originators, and his views of his own accomplishments. This book was used in the project as a source of information on the musical nature of Swing, the makeup of Swing bands, the experiences of African American musicians, how Swing changed the way people listened to music, and the influence of Swing on the music that came after it. This source was useful for understanding this topic because it is a first-hand account by a figure who was instrumental in the development of Swing. Barnet, Charlie, and Stanley Dance. Those Swinging Years: The Autobiography of Charlie Barnet. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1984. Charlie Barnet was a Big Band bandleader, saxophonist, and composer during the Swing era. Some of his Swing hits include: Skyliner, Pompton Turnpike, and Cherokee. This book is an autobiography, written in the first person by Charlie Barnet with the aid of Stanley Dance. Stanley Dance was a Swing era oral historian and a jazz writer who won the first Grammy Award for Best Album Notes in 1964 and was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1999. Published in 1984 by Louisiana State University Press, this book focuses on Charlie Barnets experiences in music, with a special focus on the Swing years during the Great Depression. The purpose of this book is to relate the story of Charlie Barnets life. Its intended audience is those interested in his life and his experiences pertaining to Swing music. Since this book was written by Barnet himself, its biases relate to his own views of Swing (he favors Swing over later jazz forms such as Bebop), and of his own musical accomplishments. This book was used in this project as a source of information on the Swing era bands, the experiences of African American musicians, the evolution of Swing towards Bebop, and the influence of Swing on audience behavior. This source was useful

for understanding this topic because it is a first-hand account by a Swing bandleader. Basie, Count, and Albert Murray. Good Morning Blues: The Autobiography of Count Basie. 2nd Da Capo Press ed. New York: Da Capo Press, 2002. Count Basie was a pianist, a composer, and a Swing and jazz orchestra conductor. His Swing hits, includingJumpin at the Woodside and One OClock Jump, sold millions of records. This book is an autobiography, written in the first person by Count Basie the aid of Albert Murray. Albert Murray is a biographer, novelist, and literary and jazz critic whose other books include The Omni-Americans and Stomping the Blues. Published in 2002 by Da Capo Press, this book focuses on Count Basies life experiences and music from 1904 through 1984. The intended audience of this book is anyone interested in learning about the Counts life and music. The biases of this book relate to Count Basies personal views of Swing (as one of its originators), and of his own accomplishments. This book was used in this project as a source of information on Swings rough start, Swing dances, and Swings impact on fan behavior. This source was useful for understanding this topic because is a first-hand account by a key figure in Swing. Hampton, Lionel, and James Haskins. Hamp: An Autobiography. New York: Amistad, 1993. The main author of this book, Lionel Hampton, was a jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussion player, and bandleader. The secondary author is James Haskins, a writer who penned many books highlighting the achievements of African Americans and their history and culture. This autobiography, written in the first person, was published in 1993 by Amistad. The intended audience of this book is all those who are interested in Hamptons life and his influence on jazz. The book covers Hamptons life and his involvement in the development of jazz from the 1930s onwards, including Swing, big band, mainstream jazz, and New York blues. The purpose of this book is to inform readers about Hampton and his impact on music. The biases of this book relate to Hamptons personal views of Swing as one of its originators, and his views of his own accomplishments. This book was used in this project as a source of information on Swing music as a diversion in wartime, conditions for African American musicians, Swings rough start, African American Swing bands, Swings transformation of morale, Swings boosting of new artists, and the new respect that Swing brought for African American musicians. This source was useful for understanding this topic because it is a first-hand account by a key figure of the Swing era. Inman, Bob. Swing Era Scrapbook: The Teenage Diaries & Radio Logs of Bob Inman, 1936-1938. Comp. Ken Vail. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005. The author of this book, Bob Inman, was a teenage fan of Swing music who attended many concerts and listened to radio broadcasts of Swing music in the period 1936-1938. This scrapbook, published in 2005 by Scarecrow Press,

contains the diary entries, postcards, pictures, autographs, and radio logs put together by the author during this key period in the development of Swing. The intended audience is anyone who is interested in the audience experience of Swing at the time. The purpose of this book is to document what it was like to be a fan of Swing. Since the book was put together by a great fan of Swing, it may portray an overenthusiastic picture of the experience of attending Swing concerts. This source was used in the project to provide first-hand information on the audience experience of Swing. This source was useful for understanding this topic because it was put together by a member of the audience at many Swing concerts. This account revealed what it was like to attend these concerts and to see and hear the bands perform, and also revealed just what Swing listeners found so compelling about this genre, and how the music influenced their lives. Newell, Maireen. Interview with Catherine Newell. In-person interview. Lexington, MA, December 25, 2012. This is an in-person interview held on December 25, 2012 with Maireen Newell, who was a teenager during the Swing era. The interview was carried out by Catherine Newell, Maireens granddaughter. The intended audience is anyone interested in the impact of Swing music on its listeners. The purpose of the interview is to provide additional information about the role that Swing played in lives of its audience members. Biases in this interview may be related to Maireen Newells fondness for Swing. This source was used to provide a first-hand account of Swing as experienced by someone who lived during this era. The interview provides information on the morale boost that Swing gave to its audience, Swing dances, and the enthusiasm for Swing among young people. This source was useful because it provided direct, personal insight into the experience of a member of the Swing audience. Roth, Benjamin. The Great Depression: A Diary. Ed. James Ledbetter and Daniel B. Roth. New York: PublicAffairs, 2009. The author of this book, Benjamin Roth, was a lawyer living in Ohio who kept a diary during the Great Depression that recorded the key events of that time. This diary was published in 2009 by Public Affairs. The intended audience for this book is anyone who is interested in the history of the United States during the Depression or in the history of economic crises in general. During the period covered by this book, the country went through its greatest economic crisis, with widespread bank failures and large scale unemployment and poverty. President Roosevelt implemented a wide variety of programs, together called the New Deal, to try to put the country back on track, but the country did not fully pull out of the Depression until World War II. The purpose of this document is to relate the experiences of one American living through the crisis. The book is written from the point of view of an middle class American lawyer living in the heartland. The author displays a possible bias towards the interests of business as compared to the interests of the working classes, as is illustrated by his criticisms of Roosevelts New Deal policies aimed towards restraining the excesses of big

business and helping those who were struggling. This source was used in the project to help describe the difficulties experienced by Americans during the Depression. This source was useful in understanding this topic because it provided a first-hand account of American life during this difficult time in U.S. history, and also provided an understanding of the background against which Swing music flourished. Secondary Sources Casdorph, Paul D. Let the Good Times Roll: Life at Home in America During World War II. New York: Paragon House, 1989. Paul Casdorph is an author and history professor at West Virginia State College. He has written six other history books which include Republicans, Negroes, and Progressives in the South, 1912-1916 and Lee and Jackson. The main idea of this book, which was published in 1989 by Paragon House, is to show the impact of World War II on the millions of Americans from 1941 to 1945 who stayed stateside, focusing on topics such as fear and disruption to homelife, unemployment, rationing, and riots, and how they coped during these turbulent times through music, movies, and other entertainment, including baseball. For example, the author describes the frightening headlines of the period: Scarcely a day passed in early 1942 without reports of armed ships torpedoed by German subs, often within sight of the East Coast. He also supports his main idea by describing how Swing helped to cope during these hard times: Miller's group [US Army Air Force Captain Glenn Millers band], which contained many holdovers from his civilian band, toured army-navy installations throughout the United States, appeared on patriotic radio broadcasts, and performed at war bond rallies. The authors view might be considered biased because he presents his opinion, and facts supporting that opinion, about the U.S. stateside impact of World War II, possibly intentionally leaving out opinions and facts that counter his own. This source was useful in the project because it contains details about World War II and how Swing helped people to cope with it. This source was useful in understanding this topic because it provided a stateside picture of the U.S. during World War II and helped illustrate Swings role and impact on the experience on the home front. Dickstein, Morris. Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009. Morris Dickstein is a distinguished author and Professor of English and Theatre at CUNY Graduate Center. He has written other works, including Gates of Eden and Leopards in the Temple. The main idea of his book, which was published in 2009 by W.W. Norton & Company, is to show how music, literature, and film helped Americans spirits to rise out of the Great Depression. For example, he describes invigorating and uplifting musical numbers and musical arrangements likened to waves building upon each other which sent audiences into delirium. He also supports his main idea with a quote by Benny Goodman looking out at a young audience of jitterbug dancers while performed with his band: We looked at

them, I guess, [as if] they were the show and we were the audience. Since the author writes from the point of view of someone with great enthusiasm for artistic culture, he might be biased because he sees culture as a force that was instrumental in helping people to get through the Depression; others might view culture of this time as escapism. This source was useful in the project because it contains details about what types of music were popular in America before the Depression, how American music was affected by the Great Depression, what Swing is and its relation to jazz, and when and why Swing was introduced at this time. This book was useful for understanding this topic because it contains much information on the impact of Swing on Depression era culture. Firestone, Ross. Swing, Swing, Swing: The Life & Times of Benny Goodman. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. Ross Firestone is an editor and author of many biography, autobiography, and entertainment industry books, which include Break It Up! The Best of the Stand Up Comics, Actress: Postcards from the Road (with Elizabeth Ashley), The Big Radio Comedy Program, and Going My Own Way (with Gary Crosby). The main idea of this book, which was published in 1993 by W.W. Norton & Company, is to detail the life of Benny Goodman and his enormous impact on American music and culture. For example, the author describes how Benny Goodman helped popularize Swing music in America: The [radio] show was to be called "Let's Dance [starring Benny Goodman and his band]. Originating in NBC's recently completed Studio 8H, a huge auditorium that could seat a thousand people, it would broadcast three hours of live dance music coast to coast every Saturday night over the network's more than fifty local stations. The author also supports his main idea by describing how Benny Goodmans early hits helped to boost the record industry: When the [Benny Goodman] record was released in November, it became a minor hit, selling five thousand copies The book might be biased in favor of Benny Goodman, since the authors fondness for his subject might have caused him to leave out some negative aspects of Goodmans life. This source was useful in the project because it contains details about the how Swing changed the way people listened to music, Swings effect on the financial health of the U.S., and why Swing is still played today. This book was useful for understanding this topic because it is an account of the life of Benny Goodman, who was known as The King of Swing. Grout, Donald Jay, J. Peter Burkholder, and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music. 7th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006. Donald Jay Grout was a professor emeritus of musicology at Cornell University, chairman of the Cornell University music department from 1945 to 1970, president of the American Musicology Society from 1961 to 1963, and an author. In addition to this book, he also wrote A Short History of Opera. J. Peter Burkholder is a professor of musicology at Indiana University and an author. His other works include articles written about music from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century for journals such as 19th-Century Music , Journal of the

American Musicological Society, Journal of Musicology, Musical Quarterly, Music Theory, and The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Claude V. Palisca was a professor of music at Yale University and an author whose works focused on early music and include: Baroque Music, Studies in the History of Italian Music and Music Theory, Aria Types in the Earliest Operas, and Humanism in Italian Renaissance Musical Thought. The main idea of this book, which was published in 2006 by W.W. Norton & Company, is to detail the history of music from Ancient Greece to present day. For example, the authors state the earliest American bands were military, but local bands emerged in the nineteenth century. Another importatnt detail that the authors supply is: [Referring to music in the later nineteenth century music in America] The invention of values for brass instruments allowed them to play melodies in any register, and brass instruments became the backbone of the band. The authors views might be biased due to their fondness for certain types of music, such as classical music, above other types. This source was useful in the project because it contains details about what types of music and musical genres were popular worldwide in the late 1800s and early 1900s, what types of music were popular in America before and during the Great Depression era, and what types of music were listened to during the World War II era. This book was useful for understanding this topic because it contains much information on the history and evolution of music prior to and during the Swing era. Grudens, Richard. Chattanooga Choo Choo: The Life and Times of the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra. Stonybrook, NY: Celebrity Profiles Publishing Company, 2004. Richard Grudens started his career as a studio page at NBCs studio in New York, working his way up the ladder to writing for NBC news shows and magazine articles, which led to his first book, The Best Damn Trumpet Player Memories of the Big Band Era. He became an outstanding musical biographer of the Big Band era and beyond, and his other books include: Perfect Harmony Singing Groups of the 20th Century, Sinatra Singing, The Italian Crooners Bedside Companion, Star Dust The Bible of the Big Bands, and Bing Crosby Crooner of the Century. This book, which was published in 2004 by Celebrity Profiles Publishing Company, is a biography of Glenn Miller. The book describes Millers enormous impact on Swing in both the U.S. and U.K., and provides a vivid historical picture of this era as well as insight about why Swing is still played today. By interviewing musicians from the original Glenn Miller Orchestra as well as booking agents and record company executives from the Swing era, the author is able to support the main ideas of his book. For example, the author includes a quote from an interview of Frank Touhey, who is the founder of Montepelier Records and an expert on the Big Bands of England and the US, in order to show Glenn Millers impact on spreading Swing to the U.K.: "We first received Miller scores when I was playing clarinet and saxophone in a dance band back in 1942. We had heard his music on the radio, then we saw Sun Valley Serenade and Orchestra Wives where the [Glenn Miller] band was featured. I think viewing those films got the whole thing [i.e., Swing music] rolling in the UK." He also supports his main idea by describing how Swing still lives today:

Today's Glenn Miller Orchestra, under the baton of its dedicated director, Larry O'Brien, travels worldwide to dispense its great musical charts, which now number over 1600, to more than a half-million enthusiastic fans annually, fulfilling the band's contracted itinerary that stretches across the oceans of the continents West to Japan and East, across the Atlantic, to Europe and beyond. The authors presentation might be biased in favor of Glenn Miller and his orchestra due to his fondness for his subject. This source was useful in the project because it contains details about Glenn Millers contribution to Swing, the ways Swing changed how people listened to music worldwide and why Swing is still played today. This book was useful for understanding this topic because it contains much information about Glenn Miller and his orchestra, the Swing era, and why Swing is still played. Levinson, Peter J. Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way: A Biography. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2005. The author of this book, Peter Levinson, was a music publicist and biographer of Swing era bandleaders, arrangers, performers, and singers. His other books include: Trumpet Blues: The Life of Harry James, September in the Rain: The Life of Nelson Riddle, and "Puttin On the Ritz: Fred Astaire and the Fine Art of Panache, A Biography. This book, which was published in 2005 by Da Capo Press, is a biography of Tommy Dorseys life, his musical achievements and contributions, and the origins of Swings popularity. He supports his main idea of the importance of Tommy Dorsey with facts obtained from his research and by sharing anecdotes from interviews of over 160 original Dorsey Orchestra band members, family, and friends. For example, he describes how Swing became popular: There was his [Benny Goodman's] fan base, made up of teenagers as well as a large contingent of University of Southern California students. The latter element tuned in and danced the Lindy in their sorority and fraternity houses to NBC's Let's Dance radio show at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday nights as the Goodman band was hitting its stride playing Fletcher Henderson's arrangements of tunes like "Down South Camp Meetin'," "King Porter Stomp," and "Blue Skies." Additionally, he supports his idea of how Tommy Dorsey impacted future music by an anecdote by Peter Guralnick: Elvis Presley came to the attention of Tommy Dorsey, which resulted in Presley's making his national debut with six guest shots on the CBS-TV variety program Stage Show, hosted by the Dorseys. The authors presentation seems more balanced than biased, as he describes Tommy Dorseys behavior at times to be volatile and demanding, yet also presents examples where Tommy is seen as charming and engaging. This source was useful in the project because it contains details about how Swing influenced the music that came after it, how Swing changed the way people listened to music, what age group was responsible for popularizing Swing, when Swing reached its peak of popularity in America, as well as World War II and its impact on Swings popularity. This book was useful for understanding this topic because it contains much useful information about Tommy Dorsey, the Swing era, and Swings impact on America during that era as well as on the future of music. Nolan, Tom. Artie Shaw, King of the Clarinet: His Life and Times. New York: W.W.

Norton & Company, 2010. Tom Nolan is a critically acclaimed author and biographer, as well as a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journals Leisure & Arts page. He started acting as a child and continued through adulthood; his recent movies include Pretty Woman, The Thing Called Love, White Mans Burden, and Batman Begins. Another of his books, Ross Macdonald: A Biography, was Edgar Awardnominated. This book, which was published in 2010 by W.W. Norton & Company, is a biography of Artie Shaws life, including his influence on music, fan behavior, and race relations. He supports his book through facts obtained from interviews with Artie Shaw and one hundred of his contemporaries and colleagues. For example, he describes audience behavior with the following quote by Paul Cohen, a trumpeter in Shaws band: "And when he [Artie Shaw] played Begin the Beguine,...there was screaming in the audience. Screams! 'He's playing-- Be-gin the Be-guine!' He uses another quote by Paul Cohen to illustrate negative aspects of Swing on some musicians: That is the hardest thing to do, for a jazz player: play something that has become famous [like Artie Shaw's playing of Begin the Beguine]. Because now you can't even extrapolate on it anymore; you have to play it note for note, or else people say, 'What happened?' The authors view appears to be well balance, as he includes not only positive, but also negative aspects aspects of Artie Shaws life, including his departure from show business at the height of his career and his seven failed marriages. This source was useful in the project because it contains details about how Swings popularity affected the ways bands were treated by their fans and the downbeat aspects of Swing. This book was useful for understanding this topic because it contains much information about Artie Shaw and the Swing era. Press, Petra. A Cultural History of the United States Through the Decades: The 1930s. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 1999. Petra Press is an author of history and biography books whose other books include: Art in History, Native American Art, European Union, Coretta Scott King: An Unauthorized Biography, and Fidel Castro: An Unauthorized Biography. This book, which was published in 1999 by Lucent Books, is a summary of the cultural history of the U.S. during the 1930s, which includes Franklin Delano Roosevelts contributions as well as the role of music and dance during this timeframe. The author supports her presentation with facts, such as this information on the role of radio during this period: Not everyone had the opportunity (or money) [in the '30s] to catch these musicians live, but all one had to do was turn on the radio for an instant party. She also supports her presentation by describing the most popular dance during these years : One of the hottest dance crazes of the '30s was the jitterbug (also known as jump), a sort of wild, aerobic dance with couples doing a lot of swinging and lifting while holding one or both of each other's hands. The authors views may be biased in favor of the cultural value of music and dancing.This source was useful in the project because it contains details about when Swing reached it popularity in America. This book was useful for understanding this topic because it contains

information on music and dance during this period, and helps the reader to understand how and why Swing flourished and became a major part of American culture during the 1930s. Schuller, Gunther. Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986. Gunther Schuller is a teacher, music publisher, jazz musician, world-renowned conductor, composer, record producer, and author. His other written works include: The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945, Gunther Schuller: A Bio-Bibliography, The Compleat Conductor, Horn Technique, and Gunther Schuller: A Life in Pursuit of Music and Beauty.The authors central thesis is that jazz, although often produced by musicians who would be considered musically illiterate in the classical sense, is nevertheless worthy of serious musicological analysis. For example, Schuller reveals that despite that fact that much African music, which provides foundations for jazz rhythms, was never formally written down, in respect to rhythm African music is unquestionably the worlds most complex music. In another example, Schuller shows how the composer Jelly Roll Mortons work is worthy of analysis: Mortons structuring of the phrase is is interesting because it is asymmetrically built. In the two eight-bar phrases under discussion, Morton lopes along in triplets for five bars, then in the sixth bar breaks into a double-time rhythm. Gunther Schuller is an acclaimed authority on jazz. His background as a composer, conductor, musician, and historian gives him an important range of expertise with which to analyze jazz history. Because of his interest in musicological analysis, Schuller may display a bias towards complex rhythms at the expense of simple ones. This source was used as background for an analysis of what types of music came before Swing. This source was useful in understanding this topic because it provided a picture of the state of jazz music before Swing arrived. Schuller, Gunther. The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Gunther Schuller is a teacher, music publisher, jazz musician, world-renowned conductor, composer, record producer, and author. His other written works include: Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development, Gunther Schuller: A Bio-Bibliography, The Compleat Conductor, Horn Technique, and Gunther Schuller: A Life in Pursuit of Music and Beauty. The main idea of this book, which was published in 1989 by Oxford University Press, is to describe the evolution of jazz into Swing, highlighting the famous jazz and swing figures responsible for this development. For example, he describes one of the most important events in Swings development: Benny Goodman entered Fletchers [Hendersons] life and, through the initiative of John Hammond, an alliance was formed which was to shape the Swing Era and the future of jazz for years to come. He also supports his main idea with details of how Swing evolved musically by analyzing music, such as Harry James arrangement and solo of Life Goes to a Party: the long chains of Hendersonian syncopated brass punctuations, another irrepressibly spirited James solo, and finally a climatic out-

chorus in which the last four bars are extended to eight by the simple device of laying a three-beat (3/4) riff figure, repeated seven times (21 beats), over the underlying 5 bars of 4/4. The authors view might be considered biased because he includes only a select group of jazz and Swing figures in his book, and provides only his personal analysis and interpretation of Swing. This source was useful in the project because it contains details about what Swing is and what types of music it is based on, and how it came into being. The source also contains information on when Swing was introduced to Americans, what factors made Swing music so popular, who were some of the most influential people and bands during the Swing era, and why they were so important. The book also contains imporant information on how Swing evolved over the course of the Swing era. This book was useful for understanding this topic because it contains much information on the history of Swing. Tucker, Sherrie. Swing Shift: "All-Girl" Bands of the 1940s. Durham: Duke University Press, 2000. Sherrie Tucker is an author, a co-editor, and Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of Kansas. She is presently working on a new book, Dance Floor Democracy: The Social Geography of Memory at the Hollywood Canteen. She is co-editor of Big Ears: Listening for Gender in Jazz Studies and of the journal American Studies, and she was the Louis Armstrong Visiting Professor at the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University. The main idea of this book, which was published in 2000 by Duke University Press, is to show how during the World War II era the popularity of Swing was boosted because of the forgotten all-girl bands, which contained both white and African-American musicians. The author describes the impact of the all-girl bands on American culture and society. For example, she describes how these all-girl bands provided music as well as a dance venue which provided comfort, a positive distraction, and a social community for those separated from their loved ones during the war. All-girl bands did this by playing swing shift dances for defense workers and traveling on USO-Camp Shows to entertain the troops. The author also supports her main idea with a quote by Viola Smith, a famous professional female drummer who had an editorial column during the World War II era which stated that [this time] marks the most opportune time we girl musicians have ever had to take our right places in the big dance bands and do our bit to keep up the morale of the country [by keeping] music alive. The authors view might be considered biased because she focuses strongly on female bands without describing the impact of male bands on American culture and society. This source was useful in the project because it contains details about how World War II effected Swings popularity, who made up Swing bands, the Swing band experiences of African American and female musicians, the effect of Swing on the morale of troops families, how Swing effected the way African Americans in general were treated, and how Swing helped to get women recognized as musicians. This book was useful for understanding this topic because it contains much information on women and African Americans in Swing during the World War II era.

Uschan, Michael V. A Cultural History of the United States Through the Decades: The 1940s. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 1999. Michael Uschan is an author and editor of biography and history books. His other books include: American History: Watergate, People in the News: George W. Bush, World History: China Since WWII, and Reparations for Slavery. This book, which was published in 1999 by Lucent Books, is a summary of the cultural history of the U.S. during the 1940s, which includes the latter part of the New Deal and Depression eras as well as World War II. The book includes extensive information on the music and dance during this timeframe. The author supports his presentation of the important aspects of American culture during this period with information on the role of Swing: But the most popular [kind of music listened to by Americans in the '40s was the dance music played by the big bands, whose leaders were as well known as rock stars are today. Music lovers were able to "swing and sway" to the bands of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Les Brown, Kay Kyser, and Count Basie. He also supports his presentation by describing how dancing to Swing was popular during these years : When the [Swing] bands toured the country, thousands of fans turned out to listen and 'cut a rug,' the '40s slang term for dancing. The authors view may be biased towards the positive aspects of music and dance during this period; others may present more critical views of popular culture. This source was useful in the project because it contains details about how Swing improved morale of troops and their families during World War II, what age group was largely responsible for popularizing Swing, who made up Swing bands, Swings effect on the U.S. economy, and Swings impact on future music. This book was useful for understanding this topic because it contains much information about Swings role in U.S. culture, economy, history, and American life during the 1940s.