Radio Rides the Range

The late Jack French was a retired FBI agent and researched vintage broadcasting for over 40 years. He was the editor of Radio Recall and the author of Private Eyelashes: Radio’s Lady Detectives, which won the Agatha Award. Inducted into the Radio Once More Hall of Fame in 2011, he lived in Fairfax, Virginia. The late David S. Siegel collected golden age of radio broadcasts, scripts, magazines, books and ephemera for 50+ years and had one of the largest radio archives in private hands. He was the editor, author or coauthor of seven books about old time radio and lived in New York.

“a fascinating glimpse into the world of the American cowboy and its portrayal on old-time radio”—ARBA; “impressive...fascinating reading...valuable and entertaining...buy this book...wonderful book. I loved the write-ups, I loved the meticulous attention to detail, I loved the wealth of information provided, and especially I loved the long, chatty, interesting articles about these shows. If you are a fan of OTRadio you will love this book”—Radio Collectors of America Newsletter; “a detailed guide to more than 100 programs”—Communication Booknotes Quarterly; “I’m talkin’ radio. Radio Rides the Range can’t be beat. French and Siegel, have put together a ripsnorting reference guide”—Western Clippings; “fascinating”—ARBA; “French and Siegel are excellent writers and researchers...a must”—The Illustrated Press; “another great book from McFarland”—b-westerns.com; “very informative...a fun read”—Milwaukee Area Radio Enthusiasts; “excellent”—Radio Recall; “well-researched and documented facts...provides a fascinating thread of American history...entertaining...informative”—Radio Historical Association of Colorado; “this book is an absolute must for collectors and historians”—The Old Radio Times; “while the encyclopedic volume will be priceless to researchers, its topics will fascinate and inform readers for pleasure. There’s plenty to savor within”—Chattanooga Airwaves; “This sorely needed book will help document the radio westerns. The content has been provided by dedicated contributors who have the background and knowledge of each series.”—Fran Striker, Jr., His Typewriter Grew Spurs: A Biography of Fran Striker; “Playing Little Beaver on Red Ryder was my most exciting radio role. I’m gratified to be in this extraordinary volume of western radio drama which David and Jack have compiled.”—Frank Bresee, Golden Days of Radio.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsForeword by Will HutchinsPrefaceThe ProgramsAppendix 1: Series with Insufficient Data to Classify or DescribeAppendix 2: Time Line of Western ProgramsAppendix 3: Western Programs on Mainstream RadioAppendix 4: Sources for Audio Copies of Western ProgramsAppendix 5: Sources for Scripts of Western ProgramsBibliographyAbout the ContributorsIndex