Accessibility links

Gary Giddins NPR coverage of Gary Giddins: News, author interviews, critics' picks and more.

Gary Giddins

Books

Gary Giddins

Books by Gary Giddins

Bing Crosby

Weather Bird

Gary Giddins has written books about:

NPR stories about Gary Giddins

New Biography Chronicles Bing Crosby's Most Beloved Years

Swinging on a Star, written by jazz and film critic Gary Giddins, is out now. STF/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

STF/AFP/Getty Images

Author Interviews

New Biography Chronicles Bing Crosby's Most Beloved Years

December 4, 2018 • Crosby set the mold for the multimedia star: on radio, on the big screen and on record. The 1940s was the period when his star shone brightest and Swinging on a Star by Gary Giddins tells that story.

New Biography Chronicles Bing Crosby's Most Beloved Years

Listen · 6:00 6:00

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/673029149/673398047" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Summer Reading: Nonfiction

Excerpt: 'Weather Bird'

July 13, 2005 • Author Gary Giddins remains an enthusiast, never giving up on jazz, an art form that has been declared near death for most of my listening life. Rather than criticize obscure records, he hunts for winners and presents his trophies.