The "Little Blue Books" Of
E. Haldeman-Julius
E. Haldeman-Julius (1889-1951) revolutioned American publishing with his
famous series of "Little Blue Books." These booklets made the greatest
literature of the ages affordable -- and convenient -- to many Americans.
Just 3-1/2 X 5 inches in size, they fit into a working person's pocket.
Later, Haldeman-Julius branched into the publication of "Big Blue Books"
printed in the more standard format of 8-1/2 X 5-1/2. Based in Girard,
Kansas, Haldeman-Julius Publications was in operation from 1919 to 1951.
The "Little Blue Books" didn't just bring the classics to the ordinary person;
they also conveyed Atheist and freethought literature, as well as every other
topic one could imagine. Youngsters, working class Americans, immigrants,
farmers, urban dwellers -- just about everyone could learn something from the
dozens of "Little Blue Books" which covered subjects as diverse as
housekeeping, crimes of the Roman Catholic Church, puzzles, sexuality,
carpentry, history and more. Thanks to Haldeman-Julius, works on these and
other subjects were available for just a few cents. It is estimated that over
100 million of these books were printed.
American Atheist Press purchased a small stock of the remaining "Big Blue
Books" from Haldeman-Julius' son shortly before the Kansas warehouse which
stored the last of these wonderful booklets was destroyed by fire. Many of
the titles we offer here command several times the price by rare book dealers.
Ours are unused and described as being in "good" condition according to the
standards established in the antiquarian book trade. Most are at least
fifty years old. Like all older books they are starting to show their age
with some yellowing and minor deterioration of the paper. Nonetheless, the
information they contain is as useful as the day they rolled off the presses
-- perhaps more so, as they provide insights into areas which are now totally
suppressed.
Booksellers, please note that we give no discounts on these Haldeman-Julius
titles.
Whether you're just looking for stimulating reading, an established
bibliophile building a collection of Atheist literature, or just getting
started in assembling a collection, the Haldeman-Julius books are essential.
Most of our available titles were authored by two prolific freethought
writers and thinkers, Joseph McCabe and Robert Green Ingersoll. Their
writings have withstood the test of time; and like the other "Blue Books"
of Haldeman-Julius, are classics in their own right.
| From the Annals of Atheism |
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 Joseph McCabe
One of the giants of not only English Atheism, but world Atheism,
Joseph McCabe left a legacy of aggressive Atheist and antireligious literature
that remains fresh and insightful today. His many works -- he wrote
nearly 250 books -- could constitute a library of Atheism by themselves.
Born in 1867, Joseph McCabe became a Franciscan monk at the age of
nineteen. But disgusted with his fellow monks and the Christian doctrine,
he left the priesthood for good on February 19, 1896.
Not long afterwards, he began to write -- first against the priesthood
itself and then for the position of Atheism. He was one of the
founding members of Britain's Rationalist Press Association, and he was a
prolific writer for Haldeman-Julius Publications. He was also a
much-respected speaker, giving, by his own estimate, three or four
thousand lectures in the United States, Australia, and Great Britain
by the age of eighty. Still fighting against the injustices and
dishonesties of religion, he died on January 10, 1955, at the
age of eighty-seven. The epitaph he requested was "He was a rebel
to his last day."
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 Robert Green Ingersoll
If Atheism had a hall of fame, one of the most brightly lit
memorials in it would be to Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-99), the
American lawyer and lecturer.
Ingersoll crafted speeches of such precision and passion, logic and
compassion, that his words have inspired generations of
Atheists since his death.
A successful lawyer with a bright future in the Republican party,
Ingersoll was attorney general of Illinois from 1867 to 1869.
In 1876, his speech at the Republican National Convention,
nominating James G. Blaine for the presidency, earned him a
national reputation as a speaker. Ingersoll shunned a promised
political career, however, to stand as a champion of freedom
of thought. He began to give freethought lectures in 1860.
He was soon internationally known for his eloquent -- and barbed --
criticisms of the bible and the Christian religion. Thousands
turned out to hear "old Bob's" lectures, and his debates
with clergymen were reprinted and discussed around the world.
American Atheist Press has reprinted several of the works
of the Great Agnostic (as he was called), and also has available
Haldeman-Julius editions of his stirring words.
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