The History of Stand-Up: From Mark Twain to Dave Chappelle

I love this book so much. Every page is interesting and full of tidbits. This book is a must read for everybody whether you have worked in comedy or you are a comedy fan. There is so much history packed into it. I have worked as a Comedian for many years so there was a relatability factor for me and I started reading this book thinking I knew so much. But I did not and I was so interested and engaged throughout the whole book. I recommend this book for everybody whether you know nothing about the history of comedy or you are someone who’s worked in comedy.

I really enjoyed the book as to the subject. I have as an adult taken a comedy class and done one onstage routine, which is why this book called to me. I learned some cool things of history in reading it. As an older adult the past events and names resonated with me. I do wish Mr. Federman would have gone more in depth, whether about the people or the events. Maybe personal stories that the named had contributed to the chapters. Perhaps an idea for a second edition update. I will read this book again and refer to it regularly. Worth the price for sure.

This fun read is like traveling back in a comedy time machine through the past 100 years of every technology and medium. The book is well laid out and thoroughly researched. I was surprised to learn Buster Keaton’s parents and grandparents started out in medicine shows. Also Mort Sahl toured with Dave Brubeck and was also signed on the Verve Records Jazz label. The book is a treasure chest of interesting information for anyone who loves stand-up comedy. I love it and highly recommend it!

The History of Stand-up is an excellent chronology of an American art form. Wayne Federman brings us a concise story that contains lots of interesting facts. Why do they call it "working blue"? When did the term "Stand-up" first come into use? Who were the first stand ups and when did they start? I read it in one sitting. If you want to know about stand-up from a stand-up - this is your book. Lou DiMaggio

As a life long fan of stand-up comedians, I was intrigued when I heard about this book. I must say, I was shocked at the depth of the knowledge and the (I guess I shouldn’t have been) humor that the author (Wayne Federman) brought to this subject. He not only knows the history but understands it and it’s progress (and cultural impact) at a DNA level as only another stand up/historian could. Bravo!

An enlightening evolution of the purest and most powerful comedic art form. Professor Federman bookends the origins of monologists with today’s podcasters while lecturing on every medium in between. The author delivers you back to the 1850s to witness the birth of Stand-Up, qualifying the first group of orators as ‘The Four Forefathers.’ Explore the careers of satirist’s and joke tellers who shaped comedy culture. A comedy timeline celebrates momentous moments of the pioneers who dared to test the funny frontiers. ‘The History of Stand-Up’ is equal parts educational and entertaining. A mandatory assignment for the student of comedy!

A sweeping look at the history of standup that feels superficial at times. Hard to avoid as he has taken on such a broad topic. While some sections explore forces that shaped the art form, others felt maddeningly shallow. I liked more focused reads better like “I’m Dying Up Here” that concentrates on a specific phenomenon.

How does one write "The History of Stand-Up" and not include/generate a single laugh? This book reads like a timeline of names, dates and places. There is no give-and-take from Bob Newhart's legendary stand-up album, no joke from the the Tonight Show routine that made Freddie Prinze an immediate star, nothing from Richard Pryor's concert movie that changed the landscape. Even the endorsements on the book's back cover wished it was longer. Instead, at only 130 pages, we get what amounts to an outline of what could have been something special.

I liked how fluid it was reading the book and it opened my mind to things I did not know about stand-up comedy and lured me to reading about the people he mentioned in his book out of curiosity. Federman is also humble in not mentioning himself in the chapters pertaining to comics in the late 70s-80s and the other comedy movies he has been in. I bet his publisher wrote the "About the Author" section On the other hand, I may be slightly picky but I found the second title of book "from Mark Twain to Dave Chapelle" a little misleading. He didn't start speaking about Twain, but he did mention him in the first chapter and the last chapter mentioned Chapelle but did not necessarily end with him. Other than that I recommend this book to those who are interested in learning a brief history of stand-up.

A very fine journey of the stand-ups through history - although not too deep it does satisfy the curiosity . Enjoyable

The beginning of the book I found interesting, as it explained the origin of stand-up comedy, from vaudeville to television. After that, the level of information drops off a shelf and states very obvious information about the trajectory of stand-up comedy up until COVID-19. Many comedians of the past and present are named in this book to progress the timeline, but if you don’t know their names, this book doesn’t tell you much about them.

Nice overview of the topic, but as the author notes “the comedians’ by Kliph Nesteroff is a far more detailed view of the same material and has the room for better stories. Note that is completely US focused.

I purchased this after hearing the "author" on the Dana Gould podcast. This seems to be an unfinished, unedited essay that's padded with lists of comedians. Abysmal.