Prepare yourself for the second coming of Prohibition. Not the actual feeble government attempt of the 1920’s, but an onslaught of shows and books about it. On top of the list is the recently released “Last Call,The Rise and Fall of Prohibition” by Daniel Okrent, . www.amazon.com/Last-Call-Rise-Fall-Prohibition/dp This book is the basis for much of the forthcoming Ken Burns’s PBS series on Prohibition. The book is a fascinating read about not just the criminal response to Prohibition that has become so much a part of the American historical tapestry, but also of the well intentioned people who managed to get a constitutional amendment passed in the first place to initiate it. For those who love politics for the sake of politics, it is a must read. Just as a teaser, let me tell you Carl Rove did not invent anything new. And if you can’t get enough of the “lore,” HBO will present a new series, “Boardwalk Empire” that will be digging in once again to that fertile narrative source. For whatever reason, Hollywood can’t get enough of this stuff, and apparently, neither can we.
By Sam DelPresto
