A history of radio’s effects on American society in the 1930s and 1940s
Before cable TV, MTV, video games, satellite dishes, and VCRs, before television itself, there was radio.
During the first half of this century, radio became the common experience that unified millions of otherwise diverse Americans.
Radio helped Americans survive and cope with the tumultuous upheavals of the thirties and forties, from the despair of the Great Depression to the anxiety of World War II.
In this unique contribution to American social history for young readers, Norman Finkelstein explores radio entertainment, humor as a reflection of the times, early programming for young fans, radio advertising, the first soaps, and the growth of radio as a news medium, including the work of Edward R. Murrow and other great broadcast journalists.