Dead Air Recalls Night Orson Welles' Broadcast Terrified America

Eighty-seven years after one of the most dramatic moments in American media history, National Bestselling author William Elliott Hazelgrove brings readers back to October 30, 1938, when Orson Welles' War of the Worlds radio broadcast created mass panic across the United States. In his acclaimed new book "Dead Air: The Night Orson Welles Terrified America," Hazelgrove recreates the chaos and confusion that turned a Mercury Theatre radio drama into a national crisis, as millions of listeners genuinely believed Martians were invading Earth. The author masterfully captures how fear, imagination, and faith in media collided during what he describes as "the first viral event" in an age before television or social media.

Hazelgrove's book has received widespread critical acclaim, with Booklist praising it as "a masterful account of mass hysteria and media power" and Publishers Weekly calling it "a cinematic, heart-pounding read." The timing coincides with the 87th anniversary of the legendary broadcast, rekindling public fascination with Welles' masterpiece and its enduring cultural significance. The author, who has an impressive literary background including being the Ernest Hemingway Writer in Residence and writing in Hemingway's birthplace attic, brings his signature blend of cultural history and narrative drama to reveal the truth behind this defining moment in modern media. Readers can find more information about the author and his work at www.williamhazelgrove.com, where they can explore his extensive bibliography that includes ten novels and twelve nonfiction titles.

Beyond the immediate historical account, "Dead Air" serves as a powerful reminder of how media can shape public perception and trigger collective responses. Hazelgrove, whose previous works include "Evil on the Roof of the World" and "Madam President: The Secret Presidency of Edith Wilson" (currently in development for adaptation), demonstrates how a single story, told effectively at the right moment, can resonate through an entire nation. The book not only documents a pivotal moment in 20th-century American culture but also provides insights relevant to our current media landscape, where misinformation and viral content continue to influence public consciousness and behavior in profound ways.