Sunday, November 02, 2008

5 Best Books about Old Time Radio

Here's an annotated list.

Link via Lit Lists.

6 comments:

Todd Mason said...

I have read the Nachtman (his SERIOUSLY FUNNY, about the new wave/"sick" comedians who came of age in the '50s and early '60s, also recommended by me and many others) and ON THE AIR. THE BIG BROADCAST might not've been the pioneering attempt to catalog as many of the series as possible, but it's the earliest I came across...Fred Allen's TREADMILL TO OBLIVION was his radio years memoir, and I certainly enjoyed that, as well.

Unknown said...

I have THE BIG BROADCAST, and thanks for recommending SERIOUSLY FUNNY in an earlier comment. I bought it and enjoyed it.

Ivan G Shreve Jr said...

I looked at this list and for a second there thought On the Air wouldn't make it.

Like Todd, the only other book I've read on the list is Nachman's, and I'm not certain if I would have put it there to begin with. It's a well-written book, but it's sort of riddled with factual errors that detract from its overall enjoyment.

Unknown said...

Not being very knowledgeable about OTR, I missed most of the errors.

Todd Mason said...

I don't remember coming across egregious error in the earlier Nachtman, but I read it fast in a bookstore one afternoon while waiting for some auto repairs. Should actually buy a copy.

Todd Mason said...

And, as Ivan has it, it's Nachman.