Don't you love it when you come home to find yourself tripping over a package delivered by UPS? This is exactly what happened to me last week and, discovering the box weighs a ton, carried it into the house to discover what was inside. Complimentary copies of the first of three books to be published this winter. Unlike the two reference guides published later this year, this one is a lavish hardcover coffee table book. Titled The Top 100 Classic Radio Shows, the book is a product of our fascination with the era that intrigued, educated and entertained listeners in equal measure. Through archives, personal interviews, and papers of those involved with programming during the golden age of radio, this book is the culmination of three decades of hard work, long road trips, thousands of hours of scanning photographs, and licensing recordings of the vintage radio broadcasts.
My co-author, Carl Amari, is the radio host of Hollywood 360, a weekly four-hour program focused on delivering the best of old-time radio programs, with trivia interlaced in between. Every Monday a new four-hour program is posted on the site and you can become a faithful weekly listener by visiting the link below.
Choosing what would specifically be considered the 100 greatest was not easy. Radio personalities Ed Wynn and Kate Smith were not included because their influence was more historical than entertainment. Few recordings exist from those two personalities, thus it was decided to cover only the programs that recordings commonly circulate among collectors.
From Amos n' Andy, Jack Benny, Little Orphan Annie, Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy and The Lone Ranger, this book serves as a primer for anyone wanting to learn the basics of Old-Time Radio 101, and various bits of trivia sprinkled on every page to serve as Old-Time Radio 102. The graphic layout is spectacular, easy on the eyes, and includes three bonus audio CDs in the inside back cover.
I was shocked to discover that a book this lavish, slick and glossy, full color and 224 large-sized pages is retailing $29.95. One would expect a retail price of $59.95. At least, that is what I usually pay for books produced in this same manner. It is now available on Amazon.com for a discount price.
