I just finished a most enjoyable new book about Doc Brinkley -- quack extraordinaire, radio pioneer (KFKB - Kansas First, Kansas Best), father of the border blasters (XER > XERA > XERF), and de facto serial killer (his sham surgeries to implant goat gonads & ovaries in gullible hicks & hickettes killed hundreds). The book is "Charlatan: America's Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam" by Pope Brock, Crown Publishers, FEB 2008, 336 pages.
It's not a book about radio per se, but about Brinkley's whole shameful career. But that career heavily involved radio, so there is plenty of interesting radio stuff for us DXers who remember the '60s when Wolfman Jack howled over the 250 kW on 1570 (muted a bit from 500 kW input / 1 megawatt ERP in earlier days). He was a true trailblazer in broadcasting country music & advertising. Some U.S. communication laws were rewritten specifically b/c of his outrageous behavior. Fittingly, the book ends with the lyrics to ZZ Top's '70s hit song. The writer has done his research well, and he is a very funny, entertaining storyteller. I highly recommend "Charlatan" - tell your other you'd like it for your birthday! Fred Schroyer Freelance Science Writer / Editorial Consultant Waynesburg, PA 15370 (40 air mis S of Pittsburgh - 20 air mis N of Morgantown, WV) [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: [email protected]
