Four-Letter Nation: The Long Dirty History of American Profanity by Jaffe, Steven H.

Four-Letter Nation: The Long Dirty History of American Profanity (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781668077054)

Vendor: Steven H. Jaffe
Product type: Books
Format: Hardcover
$29.00
$29.00
$29.00
Subtotal: $29.00
Four-Letter Nation: The Long Dirty History of American Profanity by Jaffe, Steven H.

Four-Letter Nation: The Long Dirty History of American Profanity

$29.00
Four-Letter Nation: The Long Dirty History of American Profanity by Jaffe, Steven H.

Four-Letter Nation: The Long Dirty History of American Profanity

$29.00
Format: Hardcover
Description
Description
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The untold story of how America really talks, for readers of Mary Roach and Bill Bryson--and anyone who's ever wondered about the power of "bad" words.

For 400 years, Americans have been told to watch their language. For 400 years, they've refused to listen.

From Puritan colonies where blasphemy could get you whipped, to Civil War battlefields where profanity became poetry, to modern comedy clubs where curse words became currency, Four-Letter Nation uncovers the rogues and revolutionaries who weaponized taboo language to challenge authority, claim their identities, and reshape what it means to be American.

You'll discover:
-Why colonial Americans swore differently than the British (and what that says about democracy).
-How the Civil War created an explosion of new profanity that horrified--and secretly thrilled--the nation.
-The surprising role of women in preserving America's dirtiest words.
-How Hollywood and hip-hop transformed curse words from moral failings into artistic statements.

This book is the story of American rebellion told through its most authentic voice. Four-Letter Nation proves that America's "bad language" isn't a bug in our national character. It's a feature, and it always has been.

Author: Steven H. Jaffe
ISBN-10: 1668077051
ISBN-13: 9781668077054
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Language: English
Published: 11/10/2026
Pages: 288
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.06lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.75d
By Steven H. Jaffe
By Steven H. Jaffe
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Stephen H. Jaffe is a writer, historian, and curator who has worked for a wide range of museums and institutions, including the Museum of the City of New York, the South Street Seaport Museum, the New-York Historical Society, and the American Jewish Historical Society. He is the author of New York at War and Activist New York, among other books. He lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, with his family.

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