{"id":1569,"date":"2011-08-07T08:36:46","date_gmt":"2011-08-07T13:36:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=1569"},"modified":"2022-10-10T19:07:37","modified_gmt":"2022-10-10T23:07:37","slug":"swling-book-review%e2%80%93roger-tidys-hitler%e2%80%99s-radio-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2011\/08\/swling-book-review%e2%80%93roger-tidys-hitler%e2%80%99s-radio-war\/","title":{"rendered":"SWLing Book Review\u2013Roger Tidy’s Hitler\u2019s Radio War"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not only am I a long-time radio enthusiast, but I\u2019m also something of a history buff\u2014I have a particular affection for WWII era radios, often experiencing virtual time travel while listening to, for example, my Hallicrafter’s SX-24, or my father\u2019s RCA console radio.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I suppose that\u2019s why I was so intrigued to receive a review copy of Hitler\u2019s Radio War<\/em> by Roger Tidy. Although I know quite a bit of WWII history, I knew relatively little about Hitler\u2019s radio propaganda machine, which Tidy describes in detail in this recent work.<\/p>\n

Hitler\u2019s Radio War<\/em>\u00a0(Robert Hale<\/a>, publisher, 2011) is a comprehensive history of the multi-language, insidious Third Reich initiative to brainwash their perceived antagonists, both prior to and in the aftermath of each invasion.<\/p>\n

Tidy’s complex and multi-faceted history unfolds in a very logical and deliberate manner. By placing his emphasis on the broadcasters, or radio talent, Tidy also presents a history of traitors, misguided expatriates, and political opportunists. Personalities such as the infamous Lord Haw Haw and Axis Sally (although there are actually two Sallies, as Tidy reveals) often had a passion for political change or their own self-centered achievement, and allegiances which were known to shift with the wind. Tidy describes how the Third Reich\u2019s Gestapo became particularly adept at hunting this type of personality and turning any discovered talent into the “friendly” voice of Fascism.<\/p>\n

Tidy’s comprehensive radio history is made particularly relevant to radio enthusiasts like myself in a number of ways. For example, his text frequently includes large sections of original broadcast transcripts, most fascinating in their revelation of the seductively crafted politicism of Hitler’s war machine. \u00a0And Tidy’s mention of stations quite often includes specifics such as:<\/p>\n