Waging The War of the Worlds: A History of the 1938 Radio Broadcast and Resulting Panic, Including the Original Script

by John Gosling, Howard Koch

The 1938 Orson Welles broadcast of The War of the Worlds was a landmark in the history of entertainment, sparking public hysteria in America and a series of broadcasts around the world that elicited similar responses. This book examines all aspects of the historic broadcast in depth, including fascination with Mars, H.G. Wells' novel, Orson Welles and the making of the broadcast, initial reactions and the resulting "fog of war," anxieties underlying the panic, and the aftermath. Additional chapters look at later broadcasts in the United States, Brazil, elsewhere in Latin America, and Portugal, and address the likelihood that a similar panic could happen again. The Howard Koch original script of the 1938 The War of the Worlds radio broadcast is included.

247 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jacob Deetz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved this book. As a fan of the story from afar, it delves so deep into it and other similar situations. Man humans really are kinda dumb

[Linton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's clear the author is highly interested in the subject, and since this is a smallpress book, that could easily lead to a vanity project or something unreadable or padded.

But not only is the book extremely well-researched, it's also very well-written, with the author offering valuable insights about the eras of the various broadcasts (yes, there are more than one).

A fascinating read about a cornerstone in American art and media.

[Katie]

I'm reviewing the original broadcast on this book's info. It was AMAZING you must must listen to it. However, I'd advise not doing it when something needs your attention because you will be absolutely hooked.

[Andrew Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent analysis of why the original 1938 broadcast caused the panic it did. Great detail on those subsequent versions of the play that caused similar hysteria elsewhere. Hampered in spots by weak editing.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally called "The Panic Broadcast" which is now out of print. Great book up until the last chapter.