Swingtime for Hitler: Goebbels’s Jazzmen, Tokyo Rose, and Propaganda That Carries a Tune

Written by Scott Simon

Narrated by Scott Simon

"Swingtime for Hitler is strange and subversive, a story that makes us sway and then hate ourselves for swaying. If you think present day politics is at the apex of weirdness, you're wrong – history has us beat, as proven by this toe tapping treasure. No one delivers audio (and Nazis) with as much smooth style as Scott Simon.” –Ann Patchett, bestselling author Tom Lake, Bel Canto, The Dutch House

"Brilliant, intriguing, disturbing, thoughtful and thought provoking, I cannot find enough words to describe this mesmerizing audiobook. A timely reminder of the seductive and dangerous power of propaganda, these sounds and voices remind us of a disturbing past, while also revealing the dangers and challenges we face today when voices of totalitarianism are growing louder." –Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran, Read Dangerously, and other books

"Fascinating gripping and vivid. An amazing piece of research, writing, history, and storytelling. Scott Simon’s audiobook combining war, culture, music, and swing is not just compelling, colorful, and bizarre. It is also searingly relevant to dark times today. Swingtime is a must-listen!” –Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World: A Family History of Humanity

In his long career as a journalist for National Public Radio and host of the popular Weekend Edition Saturday, Scott Simon has traveled the world, covering wars and political unrest. During that time, he grew familiar with the lies dictators and oppressive regimes tell to keep their citizens in check. Simon has become, in a way, an aficionado of propaganda. From Bosnia to Rwanda, he heard it all — or so he thought until he was introduced to the morbidly fascinating work of Charlie and His Orchestra.

Created by Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister for Propaganda, Charlie and His Orchestra was a band that played popular jazz and swing tunes rewritten with Nazi lyrics. They were regularly featured on a German radio show that reached airwaves in Britain and the US. The Reich hoped that the hateful messages of the songs would get through to faraway listeners and sway opinion in Hitler’s favor.

Simon’s story examines propaganda through the lens of his interest in this repugnant yet magnetic band. It examines the persuasive power of a new medium, radio, and how World War II played out for most people via spins of the dial. Simon also speaks to his own experience with propaganda, which he encountered many times in his decades as a reporter at NPR. More urgently, he addresses the hate speech we increasingly experience today. Propaganda is the blunt tool used by the intolerant and those who want to hold onto power at any cost. And unlike in Nazi Germany, it’s now in the hands of everybody. Anyone with a phone or social media account can reach millions with the aim to deceive and mislead. This fake news is old propaganda in a new guise. By comparison, Charlie and His Orchestra seem almost quaint. 

To experience this story most fully, Scribd encourages readers to choose the audio option of Swingtime for Hitler. Vintage sound clips from the band’s performances, coupled with Simon’s unparalleled voice and narrative skill, make this a tale that will stay in your mind — and ears — for a long time to come.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Everand Originals
• Release date: Sep 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9781094462691

Scott Simon

Scott Simon is an Emmy- and Peabody Award–winning writer and broadcaster. He is the host of NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday, which The Washington Post has called “the most literate, witty, moving, and just plain interesting news show on any dial.” He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador and Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His nonfiction books include Unforgettable: A Son, a Mother, and the Lessons of a Lifetime; Home and Away: Memoirs of a Fan; Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball; and Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other, about the joys of adoption. He is also the author of several novels, including Sunnyside Plaza and the upcoming Wins, Losses, Saves.

Reviews for Swingtime for Hitler

[Susan Emery · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thanks for writing this. A part of history that never makes it into textbooks

[claire jenkinsrobinson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thought provoking, enjoyed the way the author links propaganda of WW2 with more recent events

[Lyda Pierce · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating. Historical. Musical. And brief. Though about war, take news and propaganda, the music and Scott Simon's compassion make it mostly uplifting.

[va.vertue · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This audiobook is unique in that it includes samples of the music or broadcasts the author discusses. This was an enjoyable listen. They way the author was able to connect the adaption of propaganda brings this book into the present and is worth the listen.

[Kevin Woosley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic content and presentation.. A thoughtful account of history and the motivation behind human actions.

[Robert Prowse · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

That was news to me! First time I had heard of Charlie and his orchestra. Excellently written and read. I'll be checking out more of the author's work .

[Edith L Kramer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderfully interesting and informative program . Simon is THE BEST!!!

[dalsegnoalfine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A simply wonderful radio essay. And the story of Charlie and His Orchestra seems like a movie waiting to happen...

[Katherine Kramer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this ! I highly recommend it! You won’t regret it.

[Linda Agnello · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So glad I listened, but I had problems listening because the sound would just stop for no reason and I couldn’t get it to resume
This account of the deplorable use of music by German jazz artists. Simon’s writing and analysis of popular music of this era and comparing the individual songs to the parallel events in the war is vital to understand how the manipulation of music inflamed and distorted the perception of those who listened to it.

[len5187 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fascinating musical tour. So much I had never thought about before.

[T. Begay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story is compelling and interesting. The author has a good voice and his reflections are good to think over.

[Steven Stankevitz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was interesting to listen to. I did not think of this as a thing

[Young Debbie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent! So well done! Sounds like you’re actually back there!

[Sydney Fox · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Never had this much fun listening to an audiobook. A new favourite!

[michaelwaynehunt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Always a harbinger of truth and a tickler of the boundaries of insight, the author blesses us with music and how propaganda has, and continues to, pervert free will. Thanks for the memories!

[jemahony · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Scott has done a marvelous job of pulling this story together. It's fascinating to me that Hitler thought that he could influence the West through popular songs, but it seemed to have limited impact on the outcome of the war. The audio production by the talented and esteemed Stu Rushfield was first-rate. I am not sure why the recording is lower fidelity than we are used to hearing; perhaps it was a deliberate choice to match the quality of the 80-year-old recordings.
This story must have been challenging to research and record, and I give both Scott and Stu high praise for telling the story so well.

[David Slaton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very enlightening, entertaining and well researched. Not only does the author give insight into some of the propaganda directed by Japan and the Nazis at the Allies (mainly at Britain and the US), but he also takes us back to that era in many ways. A very fun take.

[Christopher Sparks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant audio and music. A thorough investigation of this history in World War II.

[Sophie Voillot · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Major trigger to see this on opening the app. I wish there was a way to hide a book you don't want to see.

[sparky777 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating to hear the way swing music was used so early on, as a propaganda tool.
I had always thought the intentional moulding of society’s mindsets through music only began with the era of the Beatles, getting consistently more obvious until today.
The musical recordings were surprisingly well-preserved, and kudos to the searchers and researchers.
I found it ironic to hear support of much of today’s official main stream media narrative (I’d dare to label this propaganda) peppered throughout, while the book itself was clearly disparaging wartime propaganda.