Summary of Frederick Lewis Allen's Only Yesterday

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The appearance of Mr. Smith as he comes to the breakfast table in 1919 is very different from that of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 1919. The movement of men’s fashions is glacial, but Mrs. Smith’s suit has become even shorter since 1919, and she has never heard of such dark arts as face-lifting. #2 The first tabloid newspaper, the New York Daily News, was not released until June 26, 1919. It began a career that would bring its daily circulation in one year to nearly a quarter of a million, in five years to over four-fifths of a million, and in ten years to over one million three hundred thousand. #3 Mr. Smith reads the sporting news, and finds that the Babe is having a great season for the Boston Red Sox. He does not, however, find the name of Ruth in the headlines. The sporting pages inform Mr. Smith that Rickard has selected Toledo as the scene of a forthcoming encounter between the heavyweight champion, Jess Willard, and another future idol of the mob, Jack Dempsey. #4 Mr. and Mrs. Smith discuss the High Cost of Living. Smith is hoping for an increase in salary, but the family’s income seems to be dwindling as prices rise. Everything is going up—food, rent, clothing, and taxes.