Dead Air: The Night Orson Welles Terrified America Audiobook Released
News provided byCourierPR · 2 min read
CHICAGO, IL, September 04, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Dead Air: The Night Orson Welles Terrified America, the acclaimed nonfiction book by bestselling author William Elliott Hazelgrove, has now been transformed into an audiobook, allowing listeners to experience the night that terrified America in a new format.
On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre on the Air presented a groundbreaking adaptation of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds. The program, structured to sound like an ordinary radio broadcast, quickly devolved into a series of increasingly alarming news bulletins, reporting the landing of Martians in rural New Jersey. The broadcast, which captivated millions of Americans, has since become an enduring piece of American history.
In his book, Hazelgrove reconstructs the people, personalities, and events surrounding the broadcast, separating myth from reality. He explores the immediacy and authority of radio during that era, a medium that was as immediate, intimate, and trusted as the internet would be nearly a century later.
"The power of the spoken word is at the heart of Dead Air," Hazelgrove said. "It’s about the impact of radio when it was the primary source of news and entertainment, and how it can shape public perception in ways that are both compelling and terrifying."
The audiobook edition of Dead Air not only preserves the original narrative but also brings the story to life through the power of sound. It allows listeners to experience the tension and disbelief that gripped America on that fateful night.
Dead Air has garnered national attention, with coverage from media outlets such as The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Air Mail, and WYSO's The Book Nook. Hazelgrove, a national bestselling author known for his exploration of dramatic and often misunderstood moments in American history, has written several books that have been covered by major media outlets, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, NPR, and C-SPAN.
"The internet of 1938," Hazelgrove noted, "was the radio. It was the medium through which people received their news and entertainment, and it had an unparalleled ability to shape public opinion."
The audiobook edition of Dead Air: The Night Orson Welles Terrified America is now available for purchase, offering a new way to experience one of the most significant nights in American broadcasting history.