"The Ballad Mongers" is subtitled "Rise of the Modern Folk Song." Oscar Brand begins by trying to define folk music and explain why it has been around for so long. He talks about the influences on the American folk song, noting particularly the influx of immigrants from around the world. He discusses the contribution of collectors like Alan Lomax and singers like Leadbelly in making available the songs of the Black culture. He points out the relations between folk music and the workers movements in the early part of the century. As he moves forward he talks about the popularizing effect of groups like The Weavers and the blacklist which was used against many of the more radical singers. Brand, a singer himself, gives a first hand account of the modern period.
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The review of this Book prepared by Jack Goodstein
