Higgs, a senior fellow in political economy at the Independent Institute and editor of The Independent Review, has written this volume to dispel economic myths about the Great Depression, World War II and the Cold War. The author provides general readers with statistics and economic analysis that suggest the New Deal actually prolonged the Great Depression and that the war effort did not result in a true economic recovery. The author points to the "attenuation of private property rights," changes in weapons procurement policy and below-market wages as confirmation of a wartime prosperity that lacked a true foundation. This is the first paperback reprint of the original 2006 publication. Distributed by Independent Publishers Group. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)