Mainly on the Air
Encyclopedia
Mainly on the Air was written by English
caricaturist
, essay
ist and parodist
Max Beerbohm
. It was published in 1946 by Heinemann
and is a collection of the texts of a series of six BBC Radio
broadcasts from 1935 to 1945 and six essays.
in Italy
in about 1935 when his wife, Florence Kahn
was cast in a revival of Peer Gynt
on the London stage. At this time he resumed writing essays when the BBC
invited him to give regular radio broadcasts. He talked about cars and carriages and music hall
s, among other topics. He and his wife remained in Britain during World War II
during which period Beerbohm continued to broadcast, giving his last 'on air' talk in 1945.
The success of these broadcasts made Beerbohm a well-known emeritus
of British
humour. Six of these radio talks were collected together with six other essay
s and published as Mainly on the Air in 1946.
The book was first published in America
in 1947 by Alfred A. Knopf
of New York. It ran into 17 editions between 1946 and 1972 in English
and other languages. An enlarged edition was published by Heinemann in 1957.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
caricaturist
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
, essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
ist and parodist
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
Max Beerbohm
Max Beerbohm
Sir Henry Maximilian "Max" Beerbohm was an English essayist, parodist and caricaturist best known today for his 1911 novel Zuleika Dobson.-Early life:...
. It was published in 1946 by Heinemann
Heinemann (book publisher)
Heinemann is a UK publishing house founded by William Heinemann in Covent Garden, London in 1890. On William Heinemann's death in 1920 a majority stake was purchased by U.S. publisher Doubleday. It was later acquired by commemorate Thomas Tilling in 1961...
and is a collection of the texts of a series of six BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
broadcasts from 1935 to 1945 and six essays.
Background
Beerbohm returned to England from his home in RapalloRapallo
Rapallo is a municipality in the province of Genoa, in Liguria, northern Italy. As of 2007 it counts approximately 34,000 inhabitants, it is part of the Tigullio Gulf and is located in between Portofino and Chiavari....
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in about 1935 when his wife, Florence Kahn
Florence Kahn (actress)
Florence Kahn was a Jewish American actress and the first wife of caricaturist and parodist Sir Max Beerbohm.-Acting career:...
was cast in a revival of Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, loosely based on the fairy tale Per Gynt. It is the most widely performed Norwegian play. According to Klaus Van Den Berg, the "cinematic script blends poetry with social satire and realistic scenes with surreal ones"...
on the London stage. At this time he resumed writing essays when the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
invited him to give regular radio broadcasts. He talked about cars and carriages and music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
s, among other topics. He and his wife remained in Britain during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
during which period Beerbohm continued to broadcast, giving his last 'on air' talk in 1945.
The success of these broadcasts made Beerbohm a well-known emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
humour. Six of these radio talks were collected together with six other essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s and published as Mainly on the Air in 1946.
The book was first published in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1947 by Alfred A. Knopf
Alfred A. Knopf
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. is a New York publishing house, founded by Alfred A. Knopf, Sr. in 1915. It was acquired by Random House in 1960 and is now part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group at Random House. The publishing house is known for its borzoi trademark , which was designed by co-founder...
of New York. It ran into 17 editions between 1946 and 1972 in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and other languages. An enlarged edition was published by Heinemann in 1957.
Contents
Broadcasts
- London revisited (1935)
- Speed (1936)
- A small boy seeing giants (1936)
- Music Halls of my youth (1942)
- Advertisements (1942)
- Playgoing (1945)
Other Things
- A note on the Einstein Theory (1923)
- From Bloomsbury to Bayswater (1940)
- Old Carthusian Memoirs (1920)
- The Top Hat (1940)
- Fenestralia (1944)
- T. Fenning Dodworth (1922)