Only in America

“They say Al Jolson was the most mesmerizing performer of his generation, and, in Bernstein’s mesmerizing story of his life, you can understand why. An essential read for anyone interested in the birth of modern popular entertainment.” —Jeremy Dauber, author of Jewish Comedy: A Serious History “Richard Bernstein’s brilliant book is not only a portrait of Al Jolson, the fiercely sentimental and commanding performing genius, but a detailed evocation of the culture Jolson came out of—the immigrant Eastern European Jews, the clashes between generations, the astonishing success early in the last century welcoming Jolson and other Jewish entertainers like a shower of gold.” —David Denby, author of Lit Up “Fascinating … In remaking himself, [Jolson] helped remake America … Bernstein tells his version in remarkably concise fashion, interspersing the basic facts of Jolson’s life with rich layers of cultural history.” —Ann Levin, Forward“A revealing study of a pioneering if problematic entertainer… . Within [The Jazz Singer’s] plot, Bernstein finds a rich allegory not just for Jolson’s life but for the experience of Jews in America.” —Kirkus Reviews “The story of Al Jolson and The Jazz Singer is, in Richard Bernstein’s capable hands, the story of a generation of Jews in the entertainment industry.  It serves as a timely reminder of what America meant to successful immigrants and their children. Replete with insights concerning sensitive issues like assimilation, intermarriage, the generational divide, and Black-Jewish relations, Only in America deserves a wide readership.” —Jonathan D. Sarna, Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University “Only in America is a meticulously researched and captivating literary performance that not only chronicles the remarkable rise of a Jewish immigrant to stardom but also vividly depicts the emergence of popular entertainment in the early twentieth century as a beacon of opportunity for both Jewish and Black communities.” —Clémence Boulouqe, Carl and Bernice Witten Associate Professor of Jewish and Israel Studies, Columbia University

Richard Bernstein has been a reporter, foreign correspondent, and culture critic for forty years, starting at Time magazine, then at The New York Times, and currently as a freelance writer. His foreign postings for Time and The New York Times include Hong Kong, Beijing, Paris, and Berlin. He has written ten books and articles for numerous publications, including The New York Review of Books, The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, and others. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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