NPR host Scott Simon knows the power of radio — he’s hosted Weekend Edition Saturday for more than 35 years. Also the author of the bestseller Unforgettable: A Son, A Mother, and the Lessons of a Lifetime and My Cubs: A Love Story, Simon’s newest project is the audiobook Swingtime for Hitler. The book details how the Nazis used jazz music as propaganda, penning anti-semitic and racist songs that were broadcast to Europe and the United States.
Simon tells The Treatment that the songs were abhorrent but, in a musical sense, strangely catchy and tuneful. He talks about how the Nazis despised modern art and music, yet were savvy about the popularity and power they possessed. And he and Elvis delve into the everpresent power of radio.