E. Haldeman-Julius (1889–1951)

This is an accessible and thought-provoking memoir about books and sales written by the once popular publicist and socialist businessman, Emmanuel Haldeman-Julius. This deserves to be read by anyone with an interest in publishing, but also in the shaping of American history and its 'public psychology' in the twentieth century. From the small town of Girard, in Kansas, Haldeman-Julius took over an important socialist organ of thought called An Appeal to Reason, and followed in the footsteps of giants of American literature such as Jack London. Publishing out of print or cheap classics, as well as gathering together writers such as Will Durant, Haldeman-Julius worked with his wife Ana Marcet Julius to publish millions of editions of pamphlets in the Little Blue Books series. At the small size of 8cm x 12cm, these Little Blue Books were bought up by mail order by millions of readers during the depression in the 1920s and ended up in vending machines in the 1930s. Haldeman-Julius' empire in book publishing started crumbling after J. Edgar Hoover put him on his enemies list because of his frank treatment of subjects such as marriage, sex, socialism, atheism, and politics, finally convicting him of tax evasion. Haldeman-Julius died in mysterious circumstances in 1951, appearing to drown in his own pool. This book published in 1928 by the legendary publish Simon and Schuster in New York tells the story of Haldeman-Julius' success and gives his insights into the reading public in America.… (more)