"A mesmerizing combination of voices ... Readers will be hooked." — Publishers Weekly

During the Great Depression, out-of-work writers—including Ralph Ellison and other now famous authors— were hired to interview over 10,000 workers about their jobs and lives. The arrangement, funded by the New Deal’s Federal Writers Project (a subset of the Works Progress Administration), gave us one of the most comprehensive looks ever into working conditions of the American people, especially blue-collar workers. From meatpackers in Chicago to fishermen in Massachusetts, farmers in Nebraska, and construction workers building the New York City subway, these workers met with writers at kitchen tables, in break rooms, and in union halls. The results—most of which have never been published—were candid, compelling life histories. 

At a time when much is being said about bringing jobs back to the United States, American Made offers a curated selection of these accounts from back in the “good old days,” many of them from immigrants with stories of perilous journeys to the country to match their stories of work. Their words put into relief how America has—and has not—changed since. With a preface by Kim Kelly, author of Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor. 

Civil War Chaos in Texas

By the end of the Civil War, Texas was impoverished, lawless, and had experienced suicide in the governor’s mansion. Wartime turmoil ensnared the state, especially its last Confederate governor, Pendleton Murrah. Orphaned by his mother as an infant, Murrah was raised by a charitable organization, which saw to his education. Despite having tuberculosis, he moved to Texas and became a lawyer and politician. He was elected governor in November 1863 and served until the end of the Civil War. The war brought on multiple hardships, culminating in chaos. Former soldiers robbed the state treasury in a violent shoot-out while Murrah and other Confederates exiled themselves to Mexico. Murrah died south of the border, where his remains are still lost.

Ghosts and Legends of the Black Hills

The wild and ferocious history of the Black Hills has been well documented in cinema and literature—their paranormal past and present less so. From Sturgis and Deadwood to Rapid City and Spearfish, ghastly tales litter the rugged landscape where notorious characters like Wild Bill Hickok, Potato Creek Johnny, and Jack McCall left their mark. Unsolved mysteries like Lame Johnny’s lost treasure and the legend of the Spearfish Sasquatch are shared with each generation. The spectral remnants of menace and murder linger from eerie episodes involving Big Foot Meyers, Poker Alice, and a slain Sturgis mayor.

Asbury Park Lives

By the 1980s, Asbury Park was left for dead. The once vaunted beach town had emptied out. Redevelopment efforts were derailed by economic upheaval, incompetence, or the slow workings of the judicial system. The city seemed destined to be a cautionary tale. But not everyone left, just as not everyone stayed away.

Henry Vaccaro made his best effort, Domenic Santana resurrected the Stone Pony, and even Tillie remains thanks to Debbie DeLisa, Lance Larson and Kevin Feehan bringing back Wonder Bar at the right time. The counterculture that drew bohemians and artists made for the perfect atmosphere that allowed Jenn Hampton to turn a bowling alley into a music venue.

The Jersey Shore on Film

From the boardwalk to the bay, the Jersey Shore boasts a rich but somewhat overlooked history of filmmaking along its 130 miles of beautiful coastline.

Atlantic City, the Garden State’s most iconic town, has been featured in dozens of critically acclaimed films, including The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), Atlantic City (1980), and Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). Asbury Park, though largely known for its music scene, has graced the screen in numerous films, music videos, and television shows set and produced within the city’s mere 1.61 square miles of land and water, including The Wrestler (2008), I Saw the TV Glow (2024), and Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025). Cinematic gems like Coyote Ugly (2000), Amityville Horror (1979), A Complete Unknown (2024), and many others were produced on location from South Amboy to Cape May. And of course, there is Kevin Smith, the Red Bank native whose cinematic love letters to his home state helped change the face of independent film.

The American Revolution on the Jersey Shore

On the Jersey Shore, the Revolutionary War was more than a contest between the Continental and British Armies. In this neglected region, locals divided into pro- and anti-independence camps that fought a tumultuous six-year war only intermittently tied to the larger conflict. This war brought unprecedented economic opportunity to the Jersey Shore’s formerly poor and secluded villages, as locals risked their savings on speculative salt-making ventures and risked their lives in privateer vessels. British ships bound for New York were hunted by smaller vessels lurking in shore inlets. Local leaders sought to find and punish stealthy “London Traders” smuggling provisions behind British lines, and militia battled so-called Pine Robber gangs that frequently bested them.

Arkansas in World War II

Readers interested in World War II will enjoy this in-depth depiction of Arkansas beginning in 1941. When the United States entered World War II in the winter of 1941, Arkansas was still in the grips of the Great Depression as farmers struggled with crop failures and being able to support their families. When the United States declared war on the Axis powers, Arkansans demonstrated their patriotism as they enlisted in droves in the military. The people of the state served with honor on the battlefield and on the home front, and families rationed food and resources, bought war bonds, and served the war effort in other ways. Women, traditionally tied to working at home, volunteered to work in factories to support the war effort. The war had a darker side as hundreds of Japanese Americans suspected of disloyalty to the United States were herded into the state’s two relocation centers. Some of Arkansas’s World War II heroes, those who sacrificed on the battlefield and the home front to win the epic struggle and save the world from tyranny, are featured through archival photographs in this book.

Indiana State Prison

Indiana State Prison showcases the innerworkings of an institution that housed a variety of individuals for various reasons over centuries, much of which has been unknown to the public until now. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, officials at the Indiana State Prison worked as hard to keep prisoners locked in as they did to keep the public locked out. Consequently, for the average citizen, the prison was a mystery. This book chronicles what prison officials did and, more importantly, why they did it throughout the history of the prison. Three distinct penological theories informed everything done at the prison at different periods in its 165-year history. Changes at the prison over the years did not occur in a vacuum; they were deliberate and based on popular theories about why people committed crimes. This book on the history of the Indiana State Prison could be the last one written while the prison is still in use. The Indiana Department of Correction announced in 2024 that it would close the prison in 2027. Nearly all of the pictures in this book appear in print for the first time in history.

History isn't just something that happened somewhere else, it happened right here, in the streets you walk and the buildings you pass every day. These new releases are your invitation to dig deeper into that story. Pick up a copy, share it with a fellow history lover, or gift it to someone who's always wanted to know more about where they come from. However you choose to dive in, your local library, favorite indie bookstore, or our website are the places to start.