What do you think?
Rate this book
Irving Berlin and Ragtime America
Ian Whitcomb's theme is the creation of American popular music in the early years of this century, the music which in its many guises -- from ragtime to foxtrot, to boogie-woogie to rock 'n' roll, from swing to rhythm and blues -- has provided the pulse and beat of Western civilization. At the center of that creative turmoil that gave rise to this music was Irving Berlin. This is partly the story of Berlin's early years and rapid rise to Ragtime King, and partly an account of the policies that the Russian Czarist court contributed, unwittingly, to the creation of the popular music of the 20th century. "Fast-paced, deeply researched, and packed with information, IRVING BERLIN AND RAGTIME AMERICA is surprising, original and highly entertaining." (B-O-T Editorial Review Board)
- GenresMusic
244 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
12 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 11, 2014
I know what you are thinking: "Here it comes, an over the top review simply because this book deals with one of the best composers of the 20th century." Oh, how I wish you were correct. Unfortunately, reading this book turned into a bit of a chore, though I don't regret the time spent with it.
First of all, if you are considering adding this to your "to read" list, you should know that, while you will learn a fair amount about Berlin, the focus is really on the music of the early 20th century. The author uses Berlin's biography and work as a sort of lens to examine that music and the society of the time.
I can't completely figure out why I wasn't captivated by this book. In part, it's because the author has a sort of strange style. AT times, he comes across as though he is conversing with good friends in his living room; then, a few pages later, his tone becomes quite scholarly indeed. He tells interesting anecdotes to illustrate many of his points, but sometimes I found that I had to work really hard to make the connections. He tries to show how popular music of the early 1900's influenced that of much later eras. sometimes, this works and sometimes it doesn't. I never thought that the offensive stereotypes of blacks which were so prevalent in popular music of a century ago lived on as "Bad Bad Leroy Brown, that's for sure.) somehow, too, the work lacks balance; some topics are given pages and pages while others which seem of equal merit warrant nothing more than a passing mention. Of course, every author has to decide where his focus will be, but I can't help thinking that more planning and better editing would definitely have helped.
If you have a strong passion for the music discussed in this book, or if, like me, you want to read everything about Berlin that you can get your hands on, this may be worth your time. Otherwise, I would pass on this. if you are looking for a truly great book about Mr. Berlin, I would recommend "Irving Berlin: a Daughter's Memoir," by Mary Ellen Barrett. That is a much more satisfying reading experience and will provide a terrific overview of the life and work of this 20th century genius.
First of all, if you are considering adding this to your "to read" list, you should know that, while you will learn a fair amount about Berlin, the focus is really on the music of the early 20th century. The author uses Berlin's biography and work as a sort of lens to examine that music and the society of the time.
I can't completely figure out why I wasn't captivated by this book. In part, it's because the author has a sort of strange style. AT times, he comes across as though he is conversing with good friends in his living room; then, a few pages later, his tone becomes quite scholarly indeed. He tells interesting anecdotes to illustrate many of his points, but sometimes I found that I had to work really hard to make the connections. He tries to show how popular music of the early 1900's influenced that of much later eras. sometimes, this works and sometimes it doesn't. I never thought that the offensive stereotypes of blacks which were so prevalent in popular music of a century ago lived on as "Bad Bad Leroy Brown, that's for sure.) somehow, too, the work lacks balance; some topics are given pages and pages while others which seem of equal merit warrant nothing more than a passing mention. Of course, every author has to decide where his focus will be, but I can't help thinking that more planning and better editing would definitely have helped.
If you have a strong passion for the music discussed in this book, or if, like me, you want to read everything about Berlin that you can get your hands on, this may be worth your time. Otherwise, I would pass on this. if you are looking for a truly great book about Mr. Berlin, I would recommend "Irving Berlin: a Daughter's Memoir," by Mary Ellen Barrett. That is a much more satisfying reading experience and will provide a terrific overview of the life and work of this 20th century genius.
Displaying 1 of 1 review