Customer Reviews

Words at War: World War II Era Radio Drama and the Postwar Broadcasting Industry Blacklist (Studies And Documentation In The History Of Popular Entertainment)

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Words At War: World War II Era Radio Drama And The Postwar Broadcasting Industry Blacklist by freelance writer, educator Howard Blue is an enthralling, documented, and thoroughly "reader friendly" history of radio broadcasting in America during World War II, and the subsequent Cold War-era politically oriented crackdown that left a blight on the creative talent of on-air vocal drama that was quite as pervasive and detrimentally corrosive as the better known blacklists in the Hollywood film industry. A fascinating and extensively detailed presentation which is enhanced with an extensive index, and offering compelling insight into past (and ongoing) struggles between censorship and freedom of speech, Words At War is an important and highly recommended addition to 20th Century American History, American Popular Culture, Performing Arts, and Political Science reading lists. Indeed, Words At War would seem to have a renewed and contemporary application with respect to present-day communication issues with respect to America's current struggle against global terrorism both abroad and here at home.

"This may well be the best book on American radio ever written."
Paul Buhle, Brown University, author of Popular Culture in America, etc.

"A fascinating story told in a compelling fashion."
Ken Mueller, Radio Curator, The Museum of Television & Radio

". . . . masterly, . . . . . . Blue stands with Barnouw and Dunning, and that is high rank indeed."
Norman Corwin

". . . a tour de force of research and writing, . . . "
Prof. Tim Crook. Goldsmith' s College, University of London

" . . . an outstanding contribution to the literature on civil rights . . . "
David Honig, Exec. Director, Minority Media & Telecom Council

"an exceptionally probing and indispensable contribution to the history of American radio."
Paul Heyer, Wilfrid Laurier University