Description
Book SynopsisDescribes the urban bachelor life that took shape in the late nineteenth century, when a significant population of single men migrated to American cities. This book also describe a complex subculture that continues to affect the larger meanings of manhood and manliness in American society.
Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1999 "For many men, the bachelor lifestyle became the defining act of being a man: living unencumbered by family and free to indulge in the many pleasures city life offered. Rigorously documented but very accessible to readers of American culture."--Booklist "This vivid study examines the salacious, sensuous bachelor lifestyle at the height of its prominence... Chudacoff's research and methodology are admirable, offering a fine mix of evidence, anecdote, biographical account, and sociological material to explore all important aspects of his subject. A well-rounded view of the turn-of-the-century bachelor, particularly valuable to readers drawn to the cultural landscape of Victorian America."--Kirkus Reviews "Sharp, insightful, and always entertaining, The Age of the Bachelor is an example of cultural history at its best."--Michael Bronski, The Boston Phoenix Literary Supplement
Table of ContentsAcknowlegments ix Introduction The Age of the Bachclor 3 Chapter One Bachelorhood in Early American History 21 Chapter Two Why So Many Bachelors? 45 Chapter Three The Domestic Lives of Bachelors 75 Chapter Four Institutional Life 106 Chapter Five Associations: Formal and Interpersonal 146 Chapter Six The Popular Culture of Bachelorhood 185 Chapter Seven Bachelor Subculture and Male Culture 217 Chapter Eight The Decline and Resurgence of Bachelorhood, 1930-1995 251 Appendix 283 Notes 291 Index 335
