SKU: 78194505667

Only in America

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Only in AmericaBy: Richard Bernstein A probing biography of world renowned Jewish singer and actor Al Jolson and the history of his performance in and the making of The Jazz Singer Al Jolson, born Asa Yoelson, immigrated from a shtetl in Lithuania to the United States in 1894 after his father secured a job as a rabbi in Washington, D. C. A poor, Yiddish speaking newcomer navigating a racially segregated and antisemitic America, young Jolson dreamed of becoming a

By: Richard Bernstein     
A probing biography of world-renowned Jewish singer and actor Al Jolson and the history of his performance in and the making of The Jazz Singer

Al Jolson, born Asa Yoelson, immigrated from a shtetl in Lithuania to the United States in 1894 after his father secured a job as a rabbi in Washington, D.C. A poor, Yiddish-speaking newcomer navigating a racially segregated and antisemitic America, young Jolson dreamed of becoming a star, and he did. Thanks to his immense talent and his knack for assimilating into new environments, by the time he reached his twenties he was the most famous and highly paid entertainer in America, making almost $5,000 a week at a time when the average American made $800 a year. Jolson’s public adoration and widespread acceptance as a star marked the beginning of an enriching cultural transformation, a moment when the American mind opened up to ethnic and racial differences, widening the gap of acceptability. And yet Jolson himself, despite being ferociously ambitious and gigantically talented, was crippled by insecurity, often nervous to the point of collapse, prisoner to his many vices.

Through Jolson, Bernstein simultaneously breaks open the history and legacy of the cultural sensation The Jazz Singer. Not only was The Jazz Singer the first feature length film with synchronized music and dialogue, but it was also taboo smashing in its content: The Jazz Singer is all about Jews, Orthodox and otherwise. Bernstein expounds on the making of The Jazz Singer, what the film meant then and now, introducing the many individuals involved in its production, including Samson Raphaelson, a young Jewish writer whose short story was the basis for the movie; the four Warner brothers, who made a fortune off it; and George Jessel, Jolson’s rival and the star of Raphaelson's stage adaptation of his short story. In the background emerges a picture of old Hollywood in the Roaring Twenties: cutthroat and greedy yet visionary and progressive. And while The Jazz Singer represented the future in many ways, it also dredged up the worst of the past, including Jolson’s use of blackface, common at the time.

At once a tale of the Judaizing of American culture and an acknowledgment of the challenges to come, Only in America is a glistening examination of a man at the center of a watershed moment in the arts.
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SKU: 78194505667

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Ginny J.
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 5
Big Yet Mighty!
Format: Imitation Leather
I bought this one to give to a friend who is finally turning to Jesus! I already had a MacArthur ESV study Bible as it was recommended to me by my pastor. This Bible has in-depth introductions to every chapter and a many pages there’s more commentary than there is text of the Bible. This is a great tool to help you study the word of God and to give you better understanding it might not be the Bible you want to carry to church on Sunday because it is large and heavy.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2025
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Lupe Gomez
San Leandro, US
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Great bible
Great price Good study bible
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Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2026
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AU household
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Great Bible and commentary
Format: Imitation Leather
So much info in this Bible!! I love the commentary and can’t wait to continue to read it
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Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2026
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Texas Bob
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
Amazing detail and story
Format: Hardcover
We visited Chartwell in June 2023. I sure wish I had read this book prior to that visit. I was still able to scroll through my photographs and compare them with the book photos or comments. All in all the book is excellent. It manages to complete the story of Churchill in Exile and give the reader a glimpse of all the work he accomplished leading up to WWII. It also begs the question if given a leadership role earlier Churchill could have prevented the war in the first place. As someone who lost his uncle over France in 1943 that would have been nice. I highly recommend this book. A great man.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2024
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Nate Hanshaw
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
10/10 recommend
Format: Hardcover
Great book, especially if you're a fan on WWII or Winston Churchill! I never really dove into Churchill specifically before this book, but I was very impressed with how much influence he had leading up to the war, even when he wasn't a political official. It's also wild to think about how different things could have been if people took his warnings sooner. Overall I love the book and I think it's a very interesting read even if you're not that into history!
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Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2025

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