Real Men Don′t Sing

"Allison McCracken explores the blurred genders of the croon through intimate historical detail, impeccable research, and a sense of the ever-shifting mores of sexual identity. She understands how technology influences artistry, and how the core of musical seduction remains constant, a voice whispering in the ear, a man singing to a woman in her own lingual."  - Lenny Kaye, author of You Call It Madness: The Sensuous Song of the Croon

"Allison McCracken's subject in this animated and incisive study is less than ten years of swooning Prohibition-era American pop, but she'll make you a quick believer that it forever changed what it means to listen to 'men' and 'women' singing. Cue up some Rudy Vallée and be prepared to never hear the recorded male singing voice the same way again."  - Josh Kun, University of Southern California

"[A] rich, intriguing account of how microphone-assisted heartthrobs won over American ears in the early 20th century."  - Ann Powers, NPR Book Concierge

"A painstakingly researched book, sure in its thesis and apt in its presentation, this versatile study is of immediate appeal to those interested in music but will also be a valuable resource for those in gender studies, African American studies, American studies, and all concentrations of history. Highly recommended. All readers." - J. Neal, Choice

"... marvelous... The author’s evidently deep research increases the pleasure of reading the book—and creates a nagging desire to stop reading it to seek out clips from the movies and songs she discusses." - Art Blake, Journal of Popular Music Studies

“As befits an academic author, McCracken is primarily concerned with the social aspects of the phenomenon, especially the sexual implications as the style developed in the late 1920s. … Recommended for readers interested in American social history, popular culture, popular music, and gender studies.” - Bruce R. Schueneman, Library Journal

"Real Men Don’t Sing: Crooning in American Culture is an excellent book. Those looking for ways to blend modern theory, historical context, and popular culture (in this case music and film) would do well to use McCracken’s work as a model. She tackles many complex issues, from queer theory to technology and its impact, in a way that’s readable and succinct." - Kenneth J. Bindas, American Historical Review

"[A] stunning account of crooning and the development of American pop." - Charles L. Hughes, American Quarterly

"Real Men Don’t Sing is a forcefully argued and thoroughly engaging book that would be an ideal text in courses on popular culture or gender and the body." - Maxine Leeds Craig, Men and Masculinities