In those days, in these times - (1929-1979) Spotlighting Events in Jewry - South African and General - Nathan Berger
The Rest of Us: The Rise of America's Eastern European Jews (Personally Signed Copy)
The Definitive Social Portrait of the Immigrants Who Reshaped the American Cultural Landscape
The Definitive Social Portrait of the Immigrants Who Reshaped the American Cultural Landscape
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The Rest of Us: The Rise of America's Eastern European Jews
- Author: Stephen Birmingham
- Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Ltd, Boston / New York / London
- Publication Date: 1984
- ISBN-10: 0316096474
- ISBN-13: 9780316096478
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Printing. Personally hand-signed by the author on the frontispiece/title page.
- Binding: Original publisher’s premium cloth boards, spine lettered in gilt, housed in the original illustrated dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 352 pages. Part of the Modern Jewish History series.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Exterior / Cloth Boards: The cloth-covered boards are exceptionally square, rigid, and sharp-cornered. The gilt-stamped spine remains brilliantly bright, crisp, and unrubbed.
- Interior: The text block is robustly bound, tight, and completely square. Internal pages are clean, bright white, and entirely free of previous owner inscriptions, dealer pencil marks, library stamps, or underlining.
- Provenance & Signature: Features the highly collectible, authentic hand-signed signature of the author, Stephen Birmingham, on the opening pages, elevating this first printing into a premium collector's piece.
- Preservation: Beautifully protected and presented in an archival-grade, removable cellophane cover to safeguard the binding.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Condition: A highly collectible, vibrant jacket showing only the most microscopic, superficial hints of storage shelf-wear along the upper edges. It is completely unclipped, free of sun-fading, and has zero deep tears or tape repairs.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1984 as the triumphant final installment of Stephen Birmingham’s celebrated historical trilogy (following Our Crowd and The Grandees), The Rest of Us is an authoritative, sparkling narrative chronicle detailing the epic wave of Eastern European Jewish immigration to America between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Published in 1984 as the triumphant final installment of Stephen Birmingham’s celebrated historical trilogy (following Our Crowd and The Grandees), The Rest of Us is an authoritative, sparkling narrative chronicle detailing the epic wave of Eastern European Jewish immigration to America between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Unlike the established German-Jewish aristocracy that preceded them, these millions of refugees fled the grim realities of czarist pogroms with little more than raw ambition. Birmingham masterfully charts their complex socio-economic journey from the crowded tenements of New York's Lower East Side to the heights of American industry. The text focuses heavily on the stunning, self-made trajectories of iconic figures who fundamentally remade global entertainment, crime, cosmetics, and music—including legendary film mogul Samuel Goldwyn, underworld financier Benny (Bugsy) Siegel, beauty empire builder Helena Rubinstein, and songwriting genius Irving Berlin. Written with Birmingham's trademark narrative flair and rigorous social insight, this unique autographed first edition stands as a vital cornerstone text for any serious collection of modern Jewish history, immigration sociology, or mid-century Americana.
Author Profile: Stephen Birmingham
Stephen Birmingham (1929–2015) was an elite American social historian, biographer, and bestselling author renowned for his intimate, meticulously researched exposés of America's upper classes. A graduate of Williams College, his landmark works became cultural touchstones for their unique blend of archival scholarship and journalistic verve. Birmingham's historic trilogy on the Jewish experience in America solidified his reputation as an empathetic yet piercing observer of cultural assimilation, generational wealth, and social stratification.
Stephen Birmingham (1929–2015) was an elite American social historian, biographer, and bestselling author renowned for his intimate, meticulously researched exposés of America's upper classes. A graduate of Williams College, his landmark works became cultural touchstones for their unique blend of archival scholarship and journalistic verve. Birmingham's historic trilogy on the Jewish experience in America solidified his reputation as an empathetic yet piercing observer of cultural assimilation, generational wealth, and social stratification.
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