Adventures of Amos 'N' Andy: A Social History of an American Phenomenon;

In 1930, 40 million Americans indulged in a national obsession nightly - they eagerly tuned to "Amos 'n' Andy", a radio serial created and acted by two white men about the adventures of two Southern blacks making a new life in a Northern city. Today, "Amos 'n' Andy" survives in the American language mainly as a synonym for racist stereotyping. But that verdict may not wholly explain why both black and white Americans made "Amos 'n' Andy" the most popular radio show of all time. Ely explores the appeal of the famed duo as he narrates a tale of the shifting and ambiguous colour line in 20th-century America. While listeners could find ample reinforcement in the show for their prejudices, white liberals and many Afro-Americans saw it as a warm, humane portrait of black life. Ely recreates the engaging genius of "Amos 'n' Andy" through the heyday of radio, follows the transformation from white actors to blacks on television, and explores the audiences' changing response in the wake of a rising tide of black consciousness. His "Amos 'n' Andy" reveals a society less and less able to defend the most obvious flaw in the democratic order - the colour line - yet still unwilling to erase it once and for all.