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176th out of 270 books
—
119 voters
Rather Outspoken: My Life in the News
This memoir by Dan Rather is told in a straightforward and conversational voice, and covers all the important moments of his journalistic career, including a frank accounting of his dismissal from CBS, the Abu Ghraib story, the George W. Bush Air National Guard controversy, new insights on the JFK assassination, the origin of "Hurricane Dan" as well as inside stories about...more
ebook, 320 pages
Published
May 1st 2012
by Grand Central Publishing
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I enjoyed this book much, much more than I thought I would. Having spent several years in television news, I was especially fascinated by Rather's experiences as a reporter in the field. But I found myself equally interested in his time as a White House correspondent and his views on the trivialization, corporatization and politicization of the news.
Despite what anyone believes about his departure from CBS, he deserves tremendous respect for his determination to seek the truth and his loyalty t...more
Despite what anyone believes about his departure from CBS, he deserves tremendous respect for his determination to seek the truth and his loyalty t...more
In the last month, I've read Bob Schieffer's, Roger Mudd's and now, Dan Rather's memoirs. All three are similar in describing facts of events and how CBS News operated at the time. Sheiffer's is very down to earth and humorous, while Mudd's is a more straightforward style of writing. I enjoyed them both.
Rather writes in a more lyrical style, which is not surprising because he is known for his clever use of phrases on the air. What caught me off guard was his candor and deep descriptions of his...more
Rather writes in a more lyrical style, which is not surprising because he is known for his clever use of phrases on the air. What caught me off guard was his candor and deep descriptions of his...more
I grew up watching Dan Rather on the 6 o'clock CBS News (right before we watched our nightly dose of M*A*S*H*), so I've always considered him something of a father figure. I got to hear him speak at the American Library Association Conference last summer and it literally brought tears to my eyes. I had no idea how much sentiment and memory I had invested in his voice!
So, it was fascinating to read this memoir, to find out how he got into journalism and how important he considers independent and...more
So, it was fascinating to read this memoir, to find out how he got into journalism and how important he considers independent and...more
"Corporation, politicization, trivialization of the news" From Eisenhower (WWII, Infrastructure, golf, beginning of TV, two landslide elections, national guard in Little Rock), JFK (TV/Press Conferences/Appearance, Peace Corps, assassination), Johnson (Vietnam, Civil Rights), Nixon ("Tricky Dick", Shuttle/space truck, Watergate), Ford (replaced Spiro Agnew and Nixon, pardon), Carter (graduate of Annapolis, nuclear engineer, not Washington elite, hostages in Iran), Reagan ("Great Communicator", o...more
This book by one of the elder statesmen of American journalism is part memoir, part reflection, part ringing condemnation, and all Rather. Opening with the events that led to his ouster from CBS News, Rather then reverts back to his childhood and his early interest in reporting the news, following that love of journalism from elementary school into college and beyond. As Rather recounts the work of his early years at CBS (the civil rights movement, the Kennedy assassination, his time in Washingt...more
Dan Rather has been a news reporter for over 50 years and in all those years he has made a few enemies, from the KKK during the civil rights movement to President Nixon to members of George W. Bush's administration. He covers the reasons why in Rather Outspoken- My Life in the News, co-written with Digby Diehl.
There are several events in Rather's life that had a lasting impact on him, beginning with a bad case of rheumatic fever when he was a child that left him trapped in his home, unable to pl...more
There are several events in Rather's life that had a lasting impact on him, beginning with a bad case of rheumatic fever when he was a child that left him trapped in his home, unable to pl...more
Dan Rather WAS CBS News. For over 40 years, he was a reporter and then anchor of CBS Nightly News. We knew that he would look for the story, seek out the facts, and report it to us fairly and accurately. Network news and newspapers brought the US people the stories, big and small, that told the American people what was happening in small towns and big cities in the US and the world. We could rely on the news people to tell us the truth and to shed light on the people and policies of our governme...more
This is technically an autobiography but instead of being about Dan Rather's life, it's more about the stories he covered as a reporter and then later as an anchor for CBS Evening News.
If there's anything I believe to be true about the news business, it's that the best reporters are never part of the story that they're covering. There are snippets of Dan Rather's life in here, but even when they do appear, for the most part it's in the context of a larger news story.
It's actually incredible when...more
If there's anything I believe to be true about the news business, it's that the best reporters are never part of the story that they're covering. There are snippets of Dan Rather's life in here, but even when they do appear, for the most part it's in the context of a larger news story.
It's actually incredible when...more
An outstanding book!
The author provides us with insights into the process and perils of
investigative reporting, drawing from his own experiences in the South during the Civil Rights movement,the war in Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc.
He also provides the troubled state of the current news business,
which has increasingly become the tool of corporate and political interests.
Especially enlightening was his observations on the internet,
and how a single false report can be repeated so often that it takes...more
The author provides us with insights into the process and perils of
investigative reporting, drawing from his own experiences in the South during the Civil Rights movement,the war in Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc.
He also provides the troubled state of the current news business,
which has increasingly become the tool of corporate and political interests.
Especially enlightening was his observations on the internet,
and how a single false report can be repeated so often that it takes...more
Aug 09, 2012
Josh McConnell
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
biography,
journalism
What a full career Dan Rather has had. But with a sudden (and controversial) departure from CBS News, Rather found himself in need of another career at the age of 75 (retirement is out of the question for him, he says). Not only did he find that with his current role at HDnet, but he also found time to write a biography about his life.
Rather Outspoken brings out the shoot-from-the-hip Texan that Rather is. Though the vocabulary is still extensive, the overall flavor of the book is very laidback...more
Rather Outspoken brings out the shoot-from-the-hip Texan that Rather is. Though the vocabulary is still extensive, the overall flavor of the book is very laidback...more
While this was not the detailed behind-the-scene memoir I was looking for, it was still an informative and enjoyable read. Think of this as more of a fire-side reminiscence. Dan Rather concentrates mainly on the reason he left CBS and his report on Bush II's military service...or lack of. He seems bitter often, which he should be. But there are also some nice insights in this book on Rather's early career and two chapters on his take on the presidents from Eisenhower to Obama and how they treate...more
More like "Rather Bitter: My Life as a Wheezebag Princess." Egads, this book is bad - both in structure and content. Rather leads off with his point of view on the W./Texas Air National Guard report that led to his downfall, switches gears to his childhood/college years/life at CBS, drones on about famous people he interviewed, his travels to Afghanistan and Vietnam, reconnects with suing the network after his embarrassing exit, and ends on his revitalized career with HDNet. His memoir is full o...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Dan Rather is not someone I would chose to learn more about, however I saw an interview on television and became intrigued. The book is fast moving and he reviews succinctly all the newsworthy events of my lifetime. As a retired teacher, I would strongly suggest high school students read this book to get to know the recent Presidents. Rather brings them to life in personality, administrations and accomplishments. Current events of the recent past come to life. Eve...more
Dan Rather is a professional storyteller, there's no dispute.
What heppened to him at CBS News is in dispute and that's why this memoir is an important work.
Granted, Rather Outspoken is Dan Rather's own spin on why he was asked to leave CBS News after a contentious story about President George W. Bush's National Guard Service.
The story was he was let go because the segment which said Bush had shirked his duty relied on documents later "discredited" in the blogosphere. CBS held an "independent' in...more
What heppened to him at CBS News is in dispute and that's why this memoir is an important work.
Granted, Rather Outspoken is Dan Rather's own spin on why he was asked to leave CBS News after a contentious story about President George W. Bush's National Guard Service.
The story was he was let go because the segment which said Bush had shirked his duty relied on documents later "discredited" in the blogosphere. CBS held an "independent' in...more
This was such an inspiring book! Dan Rather describes his career in investigative news (as promised) but here are some bonuses:
1. An opinion on all recent presidents.
2. Some great tips on how to conduct a stellar interview.
3. A clear picture of journalistic ethics, the place of reporting as a public service, the danger that faces journalists who tell the truth, and the commercial challenges that face journalism, and thus democracy today.
The book is a bit disorganized, but it's interesting en...more
1. An opinion on all recent presidents.
2. Some great tips on how to conduct a stellar interview.
3. A clear picture of journalistic ethics, the place of reporting as a public service, the danger that faces journalists who tell the truth, and the commercial challenges that face journalism, and thus democracy today.
The book is a bit disorganized, but it's interesting en...more
The book is ok. I used to watch Dan Rather growing up as I was a very odd child, watching the news instead of cartoons. It was interesting to read about his life, and his very clear work ethic. However, two things I did not like. First, remember all those odd catch phrases he'd have in the 2000 Elections? Yeah, I found a few of those in here. Not a lot, just enough to annoy me. THe second thing I didn't like, he led off with the whole document about Bush being AWOL including the faked documents....more
This is an extremely important book-- you think it's an old man's memoir, but in fact it's a stunning expose of deeply troubling and fascinating aspects of the U.S.A. media-government-military machine. However, simultaneously I wouldn't be able to make it through the print, and the audio is so soothingly soporific with Rather's own narration that it could truly be played in acupuncture clinics or meditation sessions. Being that I can only listen to audiobooks while driving to and from work, when...more
Ever since I saw him question Richard Nixon, I have always liked Dan Rather. This memoir is a very interesting book. Rather, of course, presents his own account of the controversy with CBS over his report on George W. Bush's alleged skipping of military obligations. It sounds convincing, but without studying all sides I can't say anything definitive. But the accounts of Rather's experiences in such places as Vietnam and Afghanistan and his impressions of all of the presidents since Eisenhower ma...more
Rather's account of how the news has changed from a public service and education orientation to a "serve the corporation's interests" mentality. He details the story of how he tried to break the news of Bush's AWOL year from the National Guard's champagne unit and the push back he got from Viacom, the parent company of CBS that was openly advocating the Republican candidate. Viacom at one point wanted an independent vetting of the story offering to give it to Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Roger A...more
Really fascinating book with the stories of behind the scenes of news and how dedicated reporters work to get to the truth. Very interesting and sad about the changes in CBS and their philosophy as they moved into the corporate world. While the book did jump from two big current stories in the beginning back to his beginning it did not seem to take away from the book overall. It did seem to come full circle. Very sad that the whole National Guard about President Bush is not really a story anymor...more
His story his way. I am an audio book listener and often shy away from author read books. However, Rather's narration adds to its authenticity. The human side comes through. Yes, some seemingly self- serving parts but also some revelations of his ineptitude, e.g. Inexperience in leading, managing, organizing his new career. His successful post CBS life, e.g. with Mark Cuban, George Clooney, was a surprise. It illustrates the need for occasional help in getting through life: even for the rich and...more
This book was very informative and was fun to re4ad because you get a first hand account of someone who was there when history was in the making: civil rights, Kennedy and Medgar Evers assassinations, and Watergate to name a few. Rather got a raw deal from CBS when they fired him but that's no surprise given the way news has become corporitized giving us fluff pieces about celebrities and "personal interest" stories while all the time leaving out the important news or lying and covering up. Than...more
I have already strongly recommended this book to a few of my friends. Dan Rather who got skewered big time by CBS for telling the truth and then allowing him and a couple other reports take the fall. It's a fascinating read on how CBS dealt with news and changed as the world changed.
He tells of his experiences with each president of the US. And how he dealt with the various wars he covered, even being embedded.
He has very great kind words for his wife. And how she stood by him and bolstered him...more
He tells of his experiences with each president of the US. And how he dealt with the various wars he covered, even being embedded.
He has very great kind words for his wife. And how she stood by him and bolstered him...more
Rather was a warrior of the most important kind--keeping us informed from the front lines of the civil rights movement in the south, from Dallas when our president was murdered. He is an American hero. No doubt. The book, however, gets muddied in the beginning because it's a tad pissy re how he was treated by CBS, the horrors of Abu Graib, the idiot Bush regime. His life has been so very American, I wish he had left out all that other disgusting crap. I think CBS broke his heart and that should...more
The best parts of the book are the section about the presidents, the civil rights movement, Vietnam and Watergate. I think Rather is removed enough from those incidents-- and probably always was-- that he is now able to write about them objectively. I didn't realize, for example, that Nixon's people, probably on order from Nixon, were plotting to kill journalists, etc. We forget how bad Watergate was. Anyway, Dan Rather seems still very hurt about the CBS business- and he should, because it was...more
The "news" we get now as compared to the days of Edward R. Murrow and his colleagues do not equate. In this history of Rather's life in journalism it is remarkable how the concept of a "free press" changed. In his fight to maintain his ideas of a free press, Rather tells about his early life, his desire to become an investigative reporter, the physical dangers to journalists in the field, pressures from our national government and the power of corporations to influence the news to their benefit...more
A really interesting book about a fascinating man and an equally fascinating career. His accounting of the Bush guard story is a tale worth reading for those who continue to harbor the illusion -- and be satisfied by-- that the documents were fake. His warnings about corporate interference of independent news organizations is worth reading. In an era where watching people yell at each other is considered "news," while foreign news bureaus continue to be consolidated or closed, hard news journali...more
I watched Dan Rather as a child. I can remember watching 48 Hours and depending on who had the remote on the nightly news. I thought this would be an engrossing read given all of the history he has reported on.
Not so. The time line in the book is very convoluted. Rather starts out talking about his scandal at CBS that led to him being let go and then jumps to his childhood. The last two chapters had me checking to see how many more pages there were. Some of the things he writes are so over the...more
Not so. The time line in the book is very convoluted. Rather starts out talking about his scandal at CBS that led to him being let go and then jumps to his childhood. The last two chapters had me checking to see how many more pages there were. Some of the things he writes are so over the...more
Fascinating. While I understand that this was Rather's "side" of the story on controversial incidents, there were certainly verifiable facts that just somehow never made it into the media accounts in such a way that one would notice.
For instance, I thought that he had lost his lawsuit against CBS in an actual trial in which a jury/judge considered the evidence and made a decision - instead, turns out that the suit was dismissed by an appellate court for procedural reasons before it ever went to...more
For instance, I thought that he had lost his lawsuit against CBS in an actual trial in which a jury/judge considered the evidence and made a decision - instead, turns out that the suit was dismissed by an appellate court for procedural reasons before it ever went to...more
Okay, so I admit it. I am a Bravo junkie, which is how I saw an interview with Andy Cohen and Dan Rather about his book, RATHER OUTSPOKEN. During the interview, I found Rather to be surprisingly charming and relaxed, which didn't necessarily compute with the image I had of him from the evening news. Intrigued, I decided this would be worth the read, and I wasn't disappointed.
To me, the book was interesting, but I also like learning about writing, the media, and public discourse. RATHER OUTSPOKEN...more
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Daniel Irvin Rather, Jr. is a former news anchor for the CBS Evening News and is now managing editor and anchor of a television news magazine, Dan Rather Reports, on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9, 1981 to March 9, 2005. He also contributed to CBS' 60 Minutes. Rather left CBS Evening News in 2005 and the network itself in 2006. On Sept...more
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