The Comedians

Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels and the History of American Comedy

By: Kliph Nesteroff

Narrated by: Kliph Nesteroff

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 200 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 100 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 21st century.

©2015 Kliph Nesteroff. Some of the material herein is based on Kliph Nesteroff's work with WFMU's Beware of the Blog and Classic Television Showbiz. Recorded by arrangement with Grove Atlantic, Inc. (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Good!!!

What a great book!! it was informative and had great stories on what really happened

Funny and comprehensive

I’ve been following comedy since I was a kid. I remember watching the original Goldbergs on our TV in the early ‘50s and was really hooked by Sid Caesar’s shows. This goes back even further to vaudeville. It covers almost all the comedians, Vegas, late-night talk shows and more. I’m surprised though that it mentions Ernie Kovacs only in passing. I downgraded the performance only because of some unusual pronunciations, which were more amusing than annoying.

Entertaining and enlightening

Fascinating history of the evolution of American comedy from vaudeville to modern day podcasts. The author doesn't just rattle off the names of the famous and infamous, he tied together how certain comedians or styles of comedy influenced the next group, and so on so the listener could see how comedy grew and changed.

The Robert Cato of comedy

It was fascinating how all the generations of comedians interconnected work together and stole from each other

Fascinating

An excellent history of the evolution of standup. If you’re interested in comedy or pop culture it’s a must read.