Extraordinary true stories of the Irish in America, their remarkable rise from urban poverty, and the powerful dynasties they engendered Author Stephen Birmingham, who chronicled the rise of Jewish immigrants to extraordinary wealth and success in “Our Crowd”, now turns his attention to the Irish. Real Lace tells the colorful and fascinating true stories of America’s most renowned Irish-Catholic families. Scions of courageous, driven, and resilient men and women who escaped starvation during Ireland’s terrible potato famine in the mid-nineteenth century, they battled their way out of the slums of Boston and New York, overcoming prejudice and poverty to achieve great wealth, fame, and political power. Here are the remarkable tales of the Kennedys and Cuddihys; the astonishing rise and tragic fall of the McDonnells of Wall Street; thrilling yarns of Floods, Mackays, O’Briens, and other so-called Silver Kings of California; and unforgettable stories about brilliant, if not always scrupulous, Irish politicos who learned how to retain enduring power by perfecting the urban political machine. Birmingham’s enthralling history celebrates the pluck, blarney, and unshakeable spirit of a remarkable group of achievers.

This resource provides historical facts about the mass media in the United States from 1638, when the press was founded in the English colonies, to 1985. This book traces the origin and development of books, broadsides, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and television with emphasis on achievements, dates, events, and people.

This volume provides concise, in-depth histories of 106 of the most significant mass-market or general magazines in the United states--both active periodicals and those which have ceased publication. Included are magazines of wide audience appeal (e.g., People) as well as major tabloids, Sunday supplement magazines, regional magazines, and the most widely read publications devoted to specific audiences (e.g., Mechanix Illustrated) with a circulation of over 100,000. Emphasizes the modern mass-market periodical, but thirty-three titles have been included that were established or whose entire existence occurred in the 19th century. Profiles are arranged alphabetically by magazine title with cross references to title variations. In many instances, the history included here is the only source of information on the magazine covered. In others, large amounts of material written over the years have been consolidated, and along with accompanying bibliographies serve as a definitive source on the magazines in question. Locations have been provided in cases that might prove problematic. An indispensable resource for journalism students and researchers.