Little Girl Who Fought The Great Depression, The

Description: Amid the deprivation and despair of the Great Depression, Shirley Temple radiated a spirit of optimism and plucky good cheer. Her image appeared in periodicals and advertisements daily; she rivalled Franklin D. Roosevelt and Edward VIII as the most photographed person in the world. For four consecutive years she was the world's box-office champion. John F. Kasson shows how Temple astonished movie veterans, created a new international culture of celebrity and revolutionised the role of children as consumers. Celebrating the prospect of lifting the Depression, tap-dancing across racial boundaries with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, foiling villains and mending the hearts of the deserving, she personified the hopes and dreams of Americans while working virtually every day of her childhood.

Review: A wonderful epilogue to Temple's career and an enlightening examination of the curly topped moppet's impact on Hollywood, the economy and the mood of a troubled nation. --Daniel Bubbeo"





Author Biography: John F. Kasson is a professor of history and American studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and the author of Amusing the Million, among many other seminal works of cultural history.