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The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Come...
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ApproximatelyRM 21.55
Condition:
Good
A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including scuff marks, but no holes or tears. The dust jacket for hard covers may not be included. Binding has minimal wear. The majority of pages are undamaged with minimal creasing or tearing, minimal pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text, no writing in margins. No missing pages.
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Located in: Little Falls, New Jersey, United States
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eBay item number:127264798984
Item specifics
- Condition
- Release Year
- 2015
- ISBN
- 9780802123985
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
GROVE/Atlantic, Incorporated
ISBN-10
0802123988
ISBN-13
9780802123985
eBay Product ID (ePID)
210338425
Product Key Features
Book Title
Comedians : Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy
Number of Pages
432 Pages
Language
English
Topic
Social History, Comedy, Entertainment & Performing Arts
Publication Year
2015
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
Performing Arts, Biography & Autobiography, History
Format
Hardcover
Dimensions
Item Height
1.4 in
Item Weight
26.5 Oz
Item Length
9 in
Item Width
6 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
LCCN
2016-479007
Dewey Edition
23
Reviews
Praise for The Comedians : "If you think you know a lot about stand-up comedy, this book will expose you as the fraud you secretly reckoned you were. Remember Frank Fay? Exactly." --Norm MacDonald "Kliph Nesteroff and this book are devoted to what I truly love--the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "Kliph Nesteroff is a 'comedy nerd' in the deepest sense of the word. He goes obsessively into the darkness that has been festering culturally, psychically, and personally behind the faces of funny going back almost a century. He is the preeminent historian of modern comedy." --Marc Maron "Comedy buffs and social historians will forever be in Kliph Nesteroff's debt for this book. A heady mixture of show-business anecdotes, gossip, and in-depth research on everything from vaudeville to podcasting. What's more, it's a great read: I couldn't put it down." --Leonard Maltin, noted film critic and scholar "Comedy tends to disappear, either into the boozy corners of a night club, or onto countless lost videotapes of TV variety shows that may never even make it to Netflix. That's what makes The Comedians so essential. No one charts the connections between the Jewy-old-masters of the TV age of comedy to the gay woman telling jokes into your ear right now on a podcast quite like [Kliph Nesteroff]." --John Hodgman, contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart "Kliph Nesteroff is the king of comedy lore . . . This is showbiz darkness that James Ellroy would be proud of . . . Because his subject is those who do stand-up, there's something ridiculous, funny, and sad all at the same time in his writing. It's a massive story that he nicely underplays, laying one carefully chosen quote, one face-planting story after another." -- Los Angeles Magazine " The Comedians is the history of American funny that we didn't know we needed, but did . . . Indispensable . . . An invaluable, and engaging, history of American entertainment's sturdiest art form." -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "An encyclopedia of American stand-up, sit-down, and every form of professional merriment you can imagine . . . I learned so much . . . Not to be missed if you love comedy and its origins. So flipping entertaining." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer "Beginning in the always smoky, often dilapidated vaudeville theaters of the early 20th century and spanning over a hundred years, Nesteroff meticulously details the lives and careers of forgotten and famous comics . . . Nesteroff's exhaustive research is evident and historians will appreciate his thoroughness. Encyclopedic in form, The Comedians ensures the nuanced history of the business of laughs will not be forgotten." -- Associated Press "A definitive volume. A lively, raucous, and immensely entertaining love letter to funny business." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Both pop culture enthusiasts and entertainment scholars will relish this important history of American comedy." -- Library Journal (starred review) " The Comedians unpacks the Russian nesting dolls of our modern concept of standup . . . A great book that will definitely make the rounds in the comedy world." -- Splitsider "One of the most comprehensive and accessible accounts of the art form to date." --Flavorwire, Praise for The Comedians : "If you think you know a lot about stand-up comedy, this book will expose you as the fraud you secretly reckoned you were. Remember Frank Fay? Exactly." --Norm MacDonald "Kliph Nesteroff and this book are devoted to what I truly love--the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "Kliph Nesteroff is a 'comedy nerd' in the deepest sense of the word. He goes obsessively into the darkness that has been festering culturally, psychically, and personally behind the faces of funny going back almost a century. He is the preeminent historian of modern comedy." --Marc Maron "Comedy buffs and social historians will forever be in Kliph Nesteroff's debt for this book. A heady mixture of show-business anecdotes, gossip, and in-depth research on everything from vaudeville to podcasting. What's more, it's a great read: I couldn't put it down." --Leonard Maltin, noted film critic and scholar "Comedy tends to disappear, either into the boozy corners of a night club, or onto countless lost videotapes of TV variety shows that may never even make it to Netflix. That's what makes The Comedians so essential. No one charts the connections between the Jewy-old-masters of the TV age of comedy to the gay woman telling jokes into your ear right now on a podcast quite like [Kliph Nesteroff]." --John Hodgman, contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart " The Comedians is the history of American funny that we didn't know we needed, but did . . . Indispensable . . . An invaluable, and engaging, history of American entertainment's sturdiest art form." -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "An encyclopedia of American stand-up, sit-down, and every form of professional merriment you can imagine . . . I learned so much . . . Not to be missed if you love comedy and its origins. So flipping entertaining." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer "Beginning in the always smoky, often dilapidated vaudeville theaters of the early 20th century and spanning over a hundred years, Nesteroff meticulously details the lives and careers of forgotten and famous comics . . . Nesteroff's exhaustive research is evident and historians will appreciate his thoroughness. Encyclopedic in form, The Comedians ensures the nuanced history of the business of laughs will not be forgotten." -- Associated Press "A definitive volume. A lively, raucous, and immensely entertaining love letter to funny business." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Both pop culture enthusiasts and entertainment scholars will relish this important history of American comedy." -- Library Journal (starred review), Praise for The Comedians : "Comedy buffs and social historians will forever be in Kliph Nesteroff's debt for this book. A heady mixture of show-business anecdotes, gossip, and in-depth research on everything from vaudeville to podcasting. What's more, it's a great read: I couldn't put it down." --Leonard Maltin, noted film critic and scholar "Comedy tends to disappear, either into the boozy corners of a night club, or onto countless lost videotapes of TV variety shows that may never even make it to Netflix. That's what makes The Comedians so essential. No one charts the connections between the Jewy-old-masters of the TV age of comedy to the gay woman telling jokes into your ear right now on a podcast quite like him." --John Hodgman, contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Praise for Kliph Nesteroff: "This guy is really brilliant. And he is devoted to the things I love--to the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "I was completely enchanted with his writing. . . . Please go read his stuff. It's awesome." --Marc Maron, "WTF with Marc Maron" "I became familiar with the work of Kliph Nesteroff several years ago. He is a writer of unique ability, producing, original material that stands far above the pack." --Zach Galifianakis "Nesteroff's ability to bring unknown and fascinating insights to the forefront is impressive--while doing so in an extremely captivating and literate manner." --Mike Sacks, author of Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today's Top Comedy Writers "Our favorite pop culture historian." --A.V. Club, The Onion "His writing, his researching, and his ability to tackle any topic are brilliant. I would venture to say he is a true American original, but as it turns out, he is Canadian." --Guy Nicolucci, Emmy and Writers Guild Award-winning comedy writer, Praise for The Comedians and Kliph Nesteroff: "If you think you know a lot about stand-up comedy, this book will expose you as the fraud you secretly reckoned you were. Remember Frank Fay? Exactly." --Norm MacDonald "Kliph Nesteroff and this book are devoted to what I truly love--the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "Kliph Nesteroff is a 'comedy nerd' in the deepest sense of the word. He goes obsessively into the darkness that has been festering culturally, psychically, and personally behind the faces of funny going back almost a century. He is the preeminent historian of modern comedy." --Marc Maron "Comedy buffs and social historians will forever be in Kliph Nesteroff's debt for this book. A heady mixture of show-business anecdotes, gossip, and in-depth research on everything from vaudeville to podcasting. What's more, it's a great read: I couldn't put it down." --Leonard Maltin, noted film critic and scholar "Comedy tends to disappear, either into the boozy corners of a night club, or onto countless lost videotapes of TV variety shows that may never even make it to Netflix. That's what makes The Comedians so essential. No one charts the connections between the Jewy-old-masters of the TV age of comedy to the gay woman telling jokes into your ear right now on a podcast quite like [Kliph Nesteroff]." --John Hodgman, contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart "An encyclopedia of American stand-up, sit-down, and every form of professional merriment you can imagine . . . I learned so much . . . Not to be missed if you love comedy and its origins. So flipping entertaining." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer "A definitive volume. A lively, raucous, and immensely entertaining love letter to funny business." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Both pop culture enthusiasts and entertainment scholars will relish this important history of American comedy." -- Library Journal (starred review) "Nesteroff's ability to bring unknown and fascinating insights to the forefront is impressive--while doing so in an extremely captivating and literate manner." --Mike Sacks, author of Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today's Top Comedy Writers "Our favorite pop culture historian." --A.V. Club, The Onion "His writing, his researching, and his ability to tackle any topic are brilliant. I would venture to say he is a true American original, but as it turns out, he is Canadian." --Guy Nicolucci, Emmy and Writers Guild Award-winning comedy writer, Praise for The Comedians and Kliph Nesteroff: "If you think you know a lot about stand-up comedy, this book will expose you as the fraud you secretly reckoned you were. Remember Frank Fay? Exactly." --Norm MacDonald "Kliph Nesteroff and this book are devoted to what I truly love--the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "Kliph Nesteroff is a 'comedy nerd' in the deepest sense of the word. He goes obsessively into the darkness that has been festering culturally, psychically, and personally behind the faces of funny going back almost a century. He is the preeminent historian of modern comedy." --Marc Maron "Comedy buffs and social historians will forever be in Kliph Nesteroff's debt for this book. A heady mixture of show-business anecdotes, gossip, and in-depth research on everything from vaudeville to podcasting. What's more, it's a great read: I couldn't put it down." --Leonard Maltin, noted film critic and scholar "Comedy tends to disappear, either into the boozy corners of a night club, or onto countless lost videotapes of TV variety shows that may never even make it to Netflix. That's what makes The Comedians so essential. No one charts the connections between the Jewy-old-masters of the TV age of comedy to the gay woman telling jokes into your ear right now on a podcast quite like [Kliph Nesteroff]." --John Hodgman, contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart "An encyclopedia of American stand-up, sit-down, and every form of professional merriment you can imagine . . . I learned so much . . . Not to be missed if you love comedy and its origins. So flipping entertaining." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer "A definitive volume. A lively, raucous, and immensely entertaining love letter to funny business." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Both pop culture enthusiasts and entertainment scholars will relish this important history of American comedy." -- Library Journal (starred review) "I became familiar with the work of Kliph Nesteroff several years ago. He is a writer of unique ability, producing, original material that stands far above the pack." --Zach Galifianakis "Nesteroff's ability to bring unknown and fascinating insights to the forefront is impressive--while doing so in an extremely captivating and literate manner." --Mike Sacks, author of Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today's Top Comedy Writers "Our favorite pop culture historian." --A.V. Club, The Onion "His writing, his researching, and his ability to tackle any topic are brilliant. I would venture to say he is a true American original, but as it turns out, he is Canadian." --Guy Nicolucci, Emmy and Writers Guild Award-winning comedy writer, Praise for The Comedians : "If you think you know a lot about stand-up comedy, this book will expose you as the fraud you secretly reckoned you were. Remember Frank Fay? Exactly." --Norm MacDonald "Kliph Nesteroff and this book are devoted to what I truly love--the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "Kliph Nesteroff is a 'comedy nerd' in the deepest sense of the word. He goes obsessively into the darkness that has been festering culturally, psychically, and personally behind the faces of funny going back almost a century. He is the preeminent historian of modern comedy." --Marc Maron "Comedy buffs and social historians will forever be in Kliph Nesteroff's debt for this book. A heady mixture of show-business anecdotes, gossip, and in-depth research on everything from vaudeville to podcasting. What's more, it's a great read: I couldn't put it down." --Leonard Maltin, noted film critic and scholar "Comedy tends to disappear, either into the boozy corners of a night club, or onto countless lost videotapes of TV variety shows that may never even make it to Netflix. That's what makes The Comedians so essential. No one charts the connections between the Jewy-old-masters of the TV age of comedy to the gay woman telling jokes into your ear right now on a podcast quite like him." --John Hodgman, contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart "A definitive volume. A lively, raucous, and immensely entertaining love letter to funny business." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Praise for Kliph Nesteroff: "This guy is really brilliant. And he is devoted to the things I love--to the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "I was completely enchanted with his writing. . . . Please go read his stuff. It's awesome." --Marc Maron, "WTF with Marc Maron" "I became familiar with the work of Kliph Nesteroff several years ago. He is a writer of unique ability, producing, original material that stands far above the pack." --Zach Galifianakis "Nesteroff's ability to bring unknown and fascinating insights to the forefront is impressive--while doing so in an extremely captivating and literate manner." --Mike Sacks, author of Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today's Top Comedy Writers "Our favorite pop culture historian." --A.V. Club, The Onion "His writing, his researching, and his ability to tackle any topic are brilliant. I would venture to say he is a true American original, but as it turns out, he is Canadian." --Guy Nicolucci, Emmy and Writers Guild Award-winning comedy writer, Praise for The Comedians : "If you think you know a lot about stand-up comedy, this book will expose you as the fraud you secretly reckoned you were. Remember Frank Fay? Exactly." --Norm MacDonald "Kliph Nesteroff and this book are devoted to what I truly love--the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "Kliph Nesteroff is a 'comedy nerd' in the deepest sense of the word. He goes obsessively into the darkness that has been festering culturally, psychically, and personally behind the faces of funny going back almost a century. He is the preeminent historian of modern comedy." --Marc Maron "Comedy buffs and social historians will forever be in Kliph Nesteroff's debt for this book. A heady mixture of show-business anecdotes, gossip, and in-depth research on everything from vaudeville to podcasting. What's more, it's a great read: I couldn't put it down." --Leonard Maltin, noted film critic and scholar "Comedy tends to disappear, either into the boozy corners of a night club, or onto countless lost videotapes of TV variety shows that may never even make it to Netflix. That's what makes The Comedians so essential. No one charts the connections between the Jewy-old-masters of the TV age of comedy to the gay woman telling jokes into your ear right now on a podcast quite like him." --John Hodgman, contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Praise for Kliph Nesteroff: "This guy is really brilliant. And he is devoted to the things I love--to the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "I was completely enchanted with his writing. . . . Please go read his stuff. It's awesome." --Marc Maron, "WTF with Marc Maron" "I became familiar with the work of Kliph Nesteroff several years ago. He is a writer of unique ability, producing, original material that stands far above the pack." --Zach Galifianakis "Nesteroff's ability to bring unknown and fascinating insights to the forefront is impressive--while doing so in an extremely captivating and literate manner." --Mike Sacks, author of Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today's Top Comedy Writers "Our favorite pop culture historian." --A.V. Club, The Onion "His writing, his researching, and his ability to tackle any topic are brilliant. I would venture to say he is a true American original, but as it turns out, he is Canadian." --Guy Nicolucci, Emmy and Writers Guild Award-winning comedy writer, Praise for The Comedians : Comedy buffs and social historians will forever be in Kliph Nesteroff's debt for this book. A heady mixture of show-business anecdotes, gossip, and in-depth research on everything from vaudeville to podcasting. What's more, it's a great read: I couldn't put it down."—Leonard Maltin Praise for Kliph Nesteroff: This guy is really brilliant. And he is devoted to the things I love—to the art of comedy."—Mel Brooks I was completely enchanted with his writing. . . . Please go read his stuff. It's awesome."—Marc Maron, WTF with Marc Maron" Kliph Nesteroff's work is a perfect example of how one person with a passion for a topic—and the ability to do it justice in print—is making a difference. He has been researching an area of American show business that no one else is."—Leonard Maltin, noted film critic and scholar I became familiar with the work of Kliph Nesteroff several years ago. He is a writer of unique ability, producing, original material that stands far above the pack."—Zach Galifianakis Nesteroff's ability to bring unknown and fascinating insights to the forefront is impressive—while doing so in an extremely captivating and literate manner."—Mike Sacks, author of Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today's Top Comedy Writers Our favorite pop culture historian."—A.V. Club, The Onion His writing, his researching, and his ability to tackle any topic are brilliant. I would venture to say he is a true American original, but as it turns out, he is Canadian."—Guy Nicolucci, Emmy and Writers Guild Award-winning comedy writer, Praise for The Comedians : "Kliph Nesteroff is a 'comedy nerd' in the deepest sense of the word. He goes obsessively into the darkness that has been festering culturally, psychically, and personally behind the faces of funny going back almost a century. He is the preeminent historian of modern comedy." --Marc Maron "Comedy buffs and social historians will forever be in Kliph Nesteroff's debt for this book. A heady mixture of show-business anecdotes, gossip, and in-depth research on everything from vaudeville to podcasting. What's more, it's a great read: I couldn't put it down." --Leonard Maltin, noted film critic and scholar "Comedy tends to disappear, either into the boozy corners of a night club, or onto countless lost videotapes of TV variety shows that may never even make it to Netflix. That's what makes The Comedians so essential. No one charts the connections between the Jewy-old-masters of the TV age of comedy to the gay woman telling jokes into your ear right now on a podcast quite like him." --John Hodgman, contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Praise for Kliph Nesteroff: "This guy is really brilliant. And he is devoted to the things I love--to the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "I was completely enchanted with his writing. . . . Please go read his stuff. It's awesome." --Marc Maron, "WTF with Marc Maron" "I became familiar with the work of Kliph Nesteroff several years ago. He is a writer of unique ability, producing, original material that stands far above the pack." --Zach Galifianakis "Nesteroff's ability to bring unknown and fascinating insights to the forefront is impressive--while doing so in an extremely captivating and literate manner." --Mike Sacks, author of Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today's Top Comedy Writers "Our favorite pop culture historian." --A.V. Club, The Onion "His writing, his researching, and his ability to tackle any topic are brilliant. I would venture to say he is a true American original, but as it turns out, he is Canadian." --Guy Nicolucci, Emmy and Writers Guild Award-winning comedy writer, Praise for The Comedians : "If you think you know a lot about stand-up comedy, this book will expose you as the fraud you secretly reckoned you were. Remember Frank Fay? Exactly." --Norm MacDonald "Kliph Nesteroff and this book are devoted to what I truly love--the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "Kliph Nesteroff is a 'comedy nerd' in the deepest sense of the word. He goes obsessively into the darkness that has been festering culturally, psychically, and personally behind the faces of funny going back almost a century. He is the preeminent historian of modern comedy." --Marc Maron "Comedy buffs and social historians will forever be in Kliph Nesteroff's debt for this book. A heady mixture of show-business anecdotes, gossip, and in-depth research on everything from vaudeville to podcasting. What's more, it's a great read: I couldn't put it down." --Leonard Maltin, noted film critic and scholar "Comedy tends to disappear, either into the boozy corners of a night club, or onto countless lost videotapes of TV variety shows that may never even make it to Netflix. That's what makes The Comedians so essential. No one charts the connections between the Jewy-old-masters of the TV age of comedy to the gay woman telling jokes into your ear right now on a podcast quite like him." --John Hodgman, contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart "A definitive volume. A lively, raucous, and immensely entertaining love letter to funny business." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Both pop culture enthusiasts and entertainment scholars will relish this important history of American comedy." -- Library Journal (starred review) Praise for Kliph Nesteroff: "This guy is really brilliant. And he is devoted to the things I love--to the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "I was completely enchanted with his writing. . . . Please go read his stuff. It's awesome." --Marc Maron, "WTF with Marc Maron" "I became familiar with the work of Kliph Nesteroff several years ago. He is a writer of unique ability, producing, original material that stands far above the pack." --Zach Galifianakis "Nesteroff's ability to bring unknown and fascinating insights to the forefront is impressive--while doing so in an extremely captivating and literate manner." --Mike Sacks, author of Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today's Top Comedy Writers "Our favorite pop culture historian." --A.V. Club, The Onion "His writing, his researching, and his ability to tackle any topic are brilliant. I would venture to say he is a true American original, but as it turns out, he is Canadian." --Guy Nicolucci, Emmy and Writers Guild Award-winning comedy writer, Praise for The Comedians and Kliph Nesteroff: "If you think you know a lot about stand-up comedy, this book will expose you as the fraud you secretly reckoned you were. Remember Frank Fay? Exactly." --Norm MacDonald "Kliph Nesteroff and this book are devoted to what I truly love--the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "Kliph Nesteroff is a 'comedy nerd' in the deepest sense of the word. He goes obsessively into the darkness that has been festering culturally, psychically, and personally behind the faces of funny going back almost a century. He is the preeminent historian of modern comedy." --Marc Maron "Comedy buffs and social historians will forever be in Kliph Nesteroff's debt for this book. A heady mixture of show-business anecdotes, gossip, and in-depth research on everything from vaudeville to podcasting. What's more, it's a great read: I couldn't put it down." --Leonard Maltin, noted film critic and scholar "Comedy tends to disappear, either into the boozy corners of a night club, or onto countless lost videotapes of TV variety shows that may never even make it to Netflix. That's what makes The Comedians so essential. No one charts the connections between the Jewy-old-masters of the TV age of comedy to the gay woman telling jokes into your ear right now on a podcast quite like [Kliph Nesteroff]." --John Hodgman, contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart "An encyclopedia of American stand-up, sit-down, and every form of professional merriment you can imagine . . . I learned so much . . . Not to be missed if you love comedy and its origins. So flipping entertaining." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer "A definitive volume. A lively, raucous, and immensely entertaining love letter to funny business." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Both pop culture enthusiasts and entertainment scholars will relish this important history of American comedy." -- Library Journal (starred review) "A former stand-up comedian himself, talk-show host Nesteroff adds an extra layer of professional insight to this absorbing and colorful history of joke tellers and their ilk from vaudeville to the new millennium . . . Must reading for entertainers and an essential acquisition for every library performing arts collection." -- Booklist "Nesteroff's ability to bring unknown and fascinating insights to the forefront is impressive--while doing so in an extremely captivating and literate manner." --Mike Sacks, author of Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today's Top Comedy Writers "Our favorite pop culture historian." --A.V. Club, The Onion "His writing, his researching, and his ability to tackle any topic are brilliant. I would venture to say he is a true American original, but as it turns out, he is Canadian." --Guy Nicolucci, Emmy and Writers Guild Award-winning comedy writer, Praise for The Comedians : Comedy buffs and social historians will forever be in Kliph Nesteroff's debt for this book. A heady mixture of show-business anecdotes, gossip, and in-depth research on everything from vaudeville to podcasting. What's more, it's a great read: I couldn't put it down." —Leonard Maltin, noted film critic and scholar Comedy tends to disappear, either into the boozy corners of a night club, or onto countless lost videotapes of TV variety shows that may never even make it to Netflix. That's what makes The Comedians so essential. No one charts the connections between the Jewy-old-masters of the TV age of comedy to the gay woman telling jokes into your ear right now on a podcast quite like him." —John Hodgman, contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Praise for Kliph Nesteroff: This guy is really brilliant. And he is devoted to the things I love—to the art of comedy." —Mel Brooks I was completely enchanted with his writing. . . . Please go read his stuff. It's awesome." —Marc Maron, WTF with Marc Maron" I became familiar with the work of Kliph Nesteroff several years ago. He is a writer of unique ability, producing, original material that stands far above the pack." —Zach Galifianakis Nesteroff's ability to bring unknown and fascinating insights to the forefront is impressive—while doing so in an extremely captivating and literate manner." —Mike Sacks, author of Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today's Top Comedy Writers Our favorite pop culture historian." —A.V. Club, The Onion His writing, his researching, and his ability to tackle any topic are brilliant. I would venture to say he is a true American original, but as it turns out, he is Canadian." —Guy Nicolucci, Emmy and Writers Guild Award-winning comedy writer, Praise for The Comedians : "If you think you know a lot about stand-up comedy, this book will expose you as the fraud you secretly reckoned you were. Remember Frank Fay? Exactly." --Norm MacDonald "Kliph Nesteroff and this book are devoted to what I truly love--the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "Kliph Nesteroff is a 'comedy nerd' in the deepest sense of the word. He goes obsessively into the darkness that has been festering culturally, psychically, and personally behind the faces of funny going back almost a century. He is the preeminent historian of modern comedy." --Marc Maron "Comedy buffs and social historians will forever be in Kliph Nesteroff's debt for this book. A heady mixture of show-business anecdotes, gossip, and in-depth research on everything from vaudeville to podcasting. What's more, it's a great read: I couldn't put it down." --Leonard Maltin, noted film critic and scholar "Comedy tends to disappear, either into the boozy corners of a night club, or onto countless lost videotapes of TV variety shows that may never even make it to Netflix. That's what makes The Comedians so essential. No one charts the connections between the Jewy-old-masters of the TV age of comedy to the gay woman telling jokes into your ear right now on a podcast quite like him." --John Hodgman, contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart "An encyclopedia of American stand-up, sit-down, and every form of professional merriment you can imagine . . . I learned so much . . . Not to be missed if you love comedy and its origins. So flipping entertaining." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer "A definitive volume. A lively, raucous, and immensely entertaining love letter to funny business." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Both pop culture enthusiasts and entertainment scholars will relish this important history of American comedy." -- Library Journal (starred review) Praise for Kliph Nesteroff: "This guy is really brilliant. And he is devoted to the things I love--to the art of comedy." --Mel Brooks "I was completely enchanted with his writing. . . . Please go read his stuff. It's awesome." --Marc Maron, "WTF with Marc Maron" "I became familiar with the work of Kliph Nesteroff several years ago. He is a writer of unique ability, producing, original material that stands far above the pack." --Zach Galifianakis "Nesteroff's ability to bring unknown and fascinating insights to the forefront is impressive--while doing so in an extremely captivating and literate manner." --Mike Sacks, author of Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today's Top Comedy Writers "Our favorite pop culture historian." --A.V. Club, The Onion "His writing, his researching, and his ability to tackle any topic are brilliant. I would venture to say he is a true American original, but as it turns out, he is Canadian." --Guy Nicolucci, Emmy and Writers Guild Award-winning comedy writer
TitleLeading
The
Dewey Decimal
792.7/028/0973
Synopsis
In The Comedians , comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff brings to life a century of American comedy with real-life characters, forgotten stars, mainstream heroes and counterculture iconoclasts. Based on over two hundred original interviews and extensive archival research, Nesteroff's groundbreaking work is a narrative exploration of the way comedians have reflected, shaped, and changed American culture over the past one hundred years. Starting with the vaudeville circuit at the turn of the last century, Nesteroff introduces the first stand-up comedian--an emcee who abandoned physical shtick for straight jokes. After the repeal of Prohibition, Mafia-run supper clubs replaced speakeasies, and mobsters replaced vaudeville impresarios as the comedian's primary employer. In the 1950s, the late-night talk show brought stand-up to a wide public, while Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, and Jonathan Winters attacked conformity and staged a comedy rebellion in coffeehouses. From comedy's part in the Civil Rights movement and the social upheaval of the late 1960s, to the first comedy clubs of the 1970s and the cocaine-fueled comedy boom of the 1980s, The Comedians culminates with a new era of media-driven celebrity in the twenty-first century.
LC Classification Number
PN1969.C65N47 2015
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Seller feedback (194,379)
- o***s (273)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseFast, fast ship! Item as described
- 3***6 (367)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseBook is in nice shape
- n***h (78)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseThank you!