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Will Rogers: A Biography Paperback – April 15, 2000
| Ben Yagoda (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
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Will Rogers was a true American icon. His newspaper column was read daily by 40 million people, and as radio entertainer, lecturer, movies star, and homespun sage, he was one of our most popular entertainers.
- Print length456 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherUniversity of Oklahoma Press
- Publication dateApril 15, 2000
- Dimensions6 x 0.99 x 9 inches
- ISBN-109780806132389
- ISBN-13978-0806132389
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Rogers emodied old-time values, yet he 'opportunistically' embraced the new mass-culture media. Apostle of decency, he headlined in the 'all-but pornographic' Ziegfeld Follies. Yagoda...has written the fullest biography of thie AMerican icon, a resonant portrait imbued with Roger's irreverent spirit, yet attuned to both the strengths and limitations of his commonsense, crackerbarrel world view." —Publishers Weekly
"Someone has finally written a good biography od Will Rogers....It's a delight to be reminded that political humor without meanness of spirit is not only possible, but indeed is a great American tradition. Politicians and all who labor with them will relish Ben Yagoda's Will Rogers, but so will those who enjoy show biz tidbits and vaudeville history."—New York Times Book Review
"[A] superbly researched biography of Will Rogers."—Los Angeles Times
"Yagoda offers an utterly thorough, brilliant taking-apart of the unique Rogers persona....So immediate you can scratch a match on his boot sole."—Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Ben Yagoda is Associate Professor of English and Journalism at the University of Delaware. He is the coeditor of The Art of Fact: A Historical Anthology of Literary Journalism and is the author of a forthcoming history of The New Yorker.
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Product details
- ASIN : 0806132388
- Publisher : University of Oklahoma Press; Subsequent edition (April 15, 2000)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 456 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780806132389
- ISBN-13 : 978-0806132389
- Item Weight : 1.4 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.99 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #857,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #874 in Comedy (Books)
- #2,668 in Humorous American Literature
- #5,079 in Author Biographies
- Customer Reviews:
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Rogers had a unique upbringing and a unique personality. Yagoda gives evidence that underneath Rogers’ public comic persona may have been layers the public did not see. Yagoda explores Rogers’ letters in some depth. On the one hand, Rogers accepted the prejudices of his time, played both sides of the political aisle, and was always willing to accept publicity. On the other hand, he was intensely private, railed at times against the tragedy imposed on his Cherokee ancestors, and, at least at times, viewed life in a fairly nihilistic way. It’s tempting to see Rogers’ humor as a form of denial or cover up of his more negative view of life. But, as Yagoda implies, it seems more likely that Rogers accepted life as it was and simply had an uncanny ability to see the absurdity of so much of what humans count as important. And he could throw his barbs straight at the people involved without offending them. Especially viewed in the light of the polarization in society today, Will Rogers had a fairly incredible skill.
This is an enjoyable book that lights up not only Will Rogers’ life but much of American life in the early 20th century that we may not know about. I highly recommend it.

