Here are three more great books about the world of comedy.
Craig Ferguson is my favorite comedian. He was my favorite late night talk show host for years as host of The Late Late Show, and I've seen him 3 or 4 times live. Riding the Elephant is his third book, following his novel Between the Bridge and the River, and his first memoir American On Purpose. Riding is very funny, very revealing, and very candid. Ferguson is one of my all time favorite celebrities because of his humor and his down to earth personality. IF you are not familiar with his work, check him out.
The Comedians by Kliph Nesteroff is based on over two hundred original interviews extensive research; it is a thorough narrative of the way comedians have reflected, shaped, and changed American culture over the past hundred years. The book is full of great stories about all the greats of comedy and about people you've never heard of, but should have. I learned about the strict caste distinctions between Vaudeville and burlesque comedians, and I learned the mafia controlled comedy clubs and careers in the 1940s and 1950s.
Mixed Nuts by Lawrence J. Epstein focuses on the great comedy teams. Each chapter focuses on a team like Burns and Allen, the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance, and others. The reader learns about each team's formation, career and contributions, and ultimately, maybe inevitably in some cases, their breakups.
Both books are well-researched and tell great stories about American culture.
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