Only in America
Al Jolson and The Jazz Singer
A probing biography of world-renowned Jewish singer and actor Al Jolson and the history of his performance in and the making of The Jazz Singer
Al Jolson, born Asa Yoelson, immigrated from a shtetl in Lithuania to the United States in 1894 after his father secured a job as a rabbi in Washington, D.C. A poor, Yiddish-speaking newcomer navigating a racially segregated and antisemitic America, young Jolson dreamed of becoming a star, and he did. Thanks to his immense talent and his knack for assimilating into new environments, by the time he reached his twenties he was the most famous and highly paid entertainer in America, making almost $5,000 a week at a time when the average American made $800 a…
$37.99
October 8, 2024
RICHARD BERNSTEIN has been a reporter, culture critic, and commentator for more than thirty years. He was a foreign correspondent in Asia and Europe for Time and The New York Times, and was the first bureau chief in China for Time. He is the author of several books, among them China 1945; A Girl Named Faithful Plum; Ultimate Journey, a New York Times Best Book of the Year; and Out of the Blue, named one of the seven best books of the year by The Boston Globe. He lives in New York City.
Only in America
Richard Bernstein
China 1945
Richard Bernstein
A Girl Named Faithful Plum
Richard Bernstein
The East, the West, and Sex
Richard Bernstein
Ultimate Journey
Richard Bernstein
The Coming Conflict with China
Richard Bernstein and Ross H. Munro