Four Decades with Studs Terkel: A Compilation of Extraordinary Interviews from 40 Years of Broadcasting

by Studs Terkel

Since the 1950s, Louis "Studs" Terkel, best-selling author of Working, The Good War, and eight other books, has been hosting a daily one-hour radio show on WFMT in Chicago. This nationally syndicated, Peabody Award-winning program is an ideal showcase for his curmudgeonly wit, his maverick opinions, and above all, his genius as an interviewer.

Four Decades with Studs Terkelbrings together 40 of Studs' most important interviews from the 1950s, '60s, '70s, and '80s. With his singular blend of intellect, grit and intuition, Studs draws his guests---artists, philosophers, scientists, activists, and many others---into spirited dialogues about their lives, their accomplishments, and their most enduring dreams. Each interview is a unique portrait of one of the most fascinating individuals of our time; taken together, the interviews provide unparalleled insights into the key ideas and events that have shaped our world for the past 40 years.

4 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Louis "Studs" Terkel was an American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for "The Good War", and is best remembered for his oral histories of common Americans, and for hosting a long-running radio show in Chicago.

Terkel was acclaimed for his efforts to preserve American oral history. His 1985 book "The Good War: An Oral History of World War Two", which detailed ordinary peoples' accounts of the country's involvement in World War II, won the Pulitzer Prize. For "Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression", Terkel assembled recollections of the Great Depression that spanned the socioeconomic spectrum, from Okies, through prison inmates, to the wealthy. His 1974 book, "Working" also was highly acclaimed. In 1995, he received the Chicago History Museum "Making History Award" for Distinction in Journalism and Communications. In 1997, Terkel was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters. Two years later, he received the George Polk Career Award in 1999.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

These recorded interviews Studs Terkel conducted with the stellar artists of the 20th century filled me with such joy and appreciation. Ralph Ellison, Robert Altman, Margot Fontaine, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein are but a few of the personalities whom Studs interviewed on his weekly radio program out of Chicago. I'm grateful for the opportunity to hear these celebrities address their passion and views. Perfect traveling companion to listen to while driving.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

used audiobook; $1.99