Folsom's book sales spike with economic downturn
Next book will tackle World War II, the Great Depression
Michael Mayday
Issue date: 9/10/09 Section: News
Burt Folsom said he was concerned that most contemporary historians lavish undue praise on Roosevelt and ignore that his policies may have prolonged the Great Depression. The book came out in November, during the 2008 elections.
Burt Folsom said the first two months of sales were moderate, but when the stimulus package, bank crisis and rise in unemployment took off, so did book sales.
"Obviously, I don't want the economy to crater and to crash, and I hope it doesn't, but it is one of these peculiarities that worse the economy is, the better the sales of the book," he said.
Anita Folsom is researching the effects of Roosevelt's policies in the domestic realm during World War II, like rationing. Folsom said she is digging through New York Times articles from the 1940s addressing Roosevelt's domestic policies.
The Folsoms said they were looking at the theory that the change in policy after the Roosevelt administration ended finally pulled Americans out of the Great Depression. Roosevelt heavily increased regulation in every aspect of American life during the Great Depression, Anita said, even in some unusual areas.
"Burt was reading last night that were was regulation against hunting and fishing," Anita Folsom said. "I'm still not exactly sure why the fishing, but for hunting I'd imagine it was for the ammunition."
Anita Folsom also said that radio was heavily censored and was essentially used for propaganda by Roosevelt. The head of the Office of War Information abused radio so much it was shut down by congress in 1945.
Burt Folsom said he should finish the book by late 2010 or early 2011 in preparation for the 70th anniversary of the attack on Peal Harbor.
Burt Folsom said the first two months of sales were moderate, but when the stimulus package, bank crisis and rise in unemployment took off, so did book sales.
"Obviously, I don't want the economy to crater and to crash, and I hope it doesn't, but it is one of these peculiarities that worse the economy is, the better the sales of the book," he said.
Anita Folsom is researching the effects of Roosevelt's policies in the domestic realm during World War II, like rationing. Folsom said she is digging through New York Times articles from the 1940s addressing Roosevelt's domestic policies.
The Folsoms said they were looking at the theory that the change in policy after the Roosevelt administration ended finally pulled Americans out of the Great Depression. Roosevelt heavily increased regulation in every aspect of American life during the Great Depression, Anita said, even in some unusual areas.
"Burt was reading last night that were was regulation against hunting and fishing," Anita Folsom said. "I'm still not exactly sure why the fishing, but for hunting I'd imagine it was for the ammunition."
Anita Folsom also said that radio was heavily censored and was essentially used for propaganda by Roosevelt. The head of the Office of War Information abused radio so much it was shut down by congress in 1945.
Burt Folsom said he should finish the book by late 2010 or early 2011 in preparation for the 70th anniversary of the attack on Peal Harbor.
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