Customer Reviews

Hitler's Airwaves: The Inside Story of Nazi Radio Broadcasting and Propaganda Swing

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Overtly this is an account of radio jazz and popular music broadcast to Britain and US between 1939 and 1945. It is indeed an excellently researched analysis of how Goebbels' ministry sought, and failed, to undermine the enemy war effort by tuneful propaganda. The accompanying musical CD, featuring "Charlie" and his Orchestra, says it all and additionally includes some choice bits by William Joyce or Lord Haw Haw, including his final broadcast from Hamburg when he was plainly drunk at the microphone. The book also contains much insightful information on other radio traitors such as John Amery, Axis Sally (Mildred Gillars) and the American, Robert Best, who canvassed from Berlin his own candidacy against President Roosevelt in the 1944 election. There is much new material in this book both about musical swing and the traitors in general. It really gets under the surface of an obscure world war two subject. The CD itself is a real hoot!

this book is really interesting... particularly if you're doing a project on propaganda or nazis. It gives insight on often neglected areas of politics- music. The accompanying CD is also a plus. The songs are really interesting (if sometimes distasteful).

Actually, I didn't much like the book--it was pretty much like a series of encyclopedia articles on the greats of Nazi propaganda, but the CD was truly hilarious. My (teenage) children couldn't understand the point of any of the songs, but I was singing "Let's go bombing, let's go bombing, like United Nations airmen do..." all next week.