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26th out of 110 books
—
22 voters
This Just In: What I Couldn't Tell You on TV
Bob Schieffer started his reporting career in Texas when he was barely old enough to buy a beer, joined CBS News in 1969, and became one of the few correspondents ever to have covered all four major Washington beats: the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department, and Capitol Hill. Over the past four decades, he's seen it all-and now he's sharing the after-hours tales...more
Paperback, 464 pages
Published
January 6th 2004
by Berkley Trade
(first published December 1st 2002)
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A memoir of the CBS newsman’s life, from his early days as a police beat reporter, through Nixon and Watergate, the bloodshed at home and at Vietnam in the ‘60s, up to 9/11. I had never heard of Schieffer before, even though he was originally a Texas newsman. In any case, this is a very pleasant autobiography which also serves as a sort of informal history of America’s last half-century. (The subtitle is somewhat misleading, as the book does not provide us with juicy tidbits which were too class...more
Summary: Bob Schieffer's book is easy to read but does not reward even that little effort. This Just In is like a stack of losing lottery tickets: hoped-for rewards repeatedly fail to materialize.
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As Walter Cronkite reports that President Kennedy has been shot, he takes off his glasses and looks at the clock. The scene is replayed when documentaries look back on the recent history of the United States, the history of television news or the history of Cronkite, long revered as the country's m...more
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As Walter Cronkite reports that President Kennedy has been shot, he takes off his glasses and looks at the clock. The scene is replayed when documentaries look back on the recent history of the United States, the history of television news or the history of Cronkite, long revered as the country's m...more
If any book will make you fall in love with reporting and journalism, this one will. Bob Schieffer's stories are written with all the skill that made him one of America's top newsmen. They are funny and engaging, not to mention an excellent lesson in the history of America's politics from JFK to George W. Bush, and an insider's account of the evolution of the news industry. Schieffer's tales include personal encounters with everyone who was anyone, and his lively recollections make people like W...more
I've always liked Bob Schieffer; he always seemed very calm with a faint trace of humor. The book strengthens that sense. He got his start around the time of the Kennedy assassination in 1963, which is also where this book begins. Shieffer is justifiably proud of the history of CBS News from the 50s through the 70s, and very unhappy with the corporate changes of the 80s. However, his career survived Vietnam, Watergate, years at the Pentagon, the presidencies of Carter, Reagan, Bush I and Clinton...more
I really like books that take a look at the inside world of journalism and network news. This was an easy to read account of Bob Shieffer's career beginning in radio in Fort Worth, Texas, moving to the print media, and finally to television news. The book brought home how random events can make the difference in a national career or a noncareer--that pesky being at the right place at the right time. The section on the infighting at CBS over who would replace Walter Cronkite was particularly inte...more
In This Just In, Schieffer relates details about some of the most interesting, important, famous, and infamous news stories he has covered during his long career. He also covers his personal life and the network news business. It was a very interesting and enjoyable book. Schieffer, although a very distinguished news reporter comes across as a very down-to-earth and likable guy. He has had, and continues to have, a remarkable career with CBS news.
I really enjoyed reading this book - it was like taking a walk through the memory lane of my childhood, as it was tied to the events of the day. As certain songs remind me of moments in my life when i first heard them, so this book does the same with important political events of Bob Schieffer's career. He is also one of my favorite news correspondents and I am an avid watcher of "Face the Nation", so it was a perfect fit for me. An easy to read book on the work and life of a major network corre...more
After reading this book, I feel like I know just a little bit more about recent history, but I also feel like I have a slightly better understanding of how our political system works. I realize that the analysis of it in this book is the opinion of Mr. Schieffer, but considering what is currently taking place, it makes a whole lot of sense, and this book was published almost 10 years ago. For someone that has never been particularly fond of non-fiction, this was a pretty interesting book.
An easy-to-read, breezy memoir about Bob Schieffer's career as a reporter. The book covers the period from Kennedy's assassination thru the attack on September 11th. I could appreciate the experiences that he recounted as they tracked my own political awareness which began the day I heard that President Kennedy had been shot. Schieffer's many anecdotes and behind-the-scenes-scene political gossip kept this book interesting right to the end.
Apr 29, 2012
Gayle
added it
Very enjoyable read. A timeline of many of the memorable and influential historic (war & politics) events that have taken place during my lifetime. Bob Schieffer seems a humane and humorous man with a passion for his work. Highly recommend.
Mar 24, 2011
Ken
added it
If your interest in political news coverage began in the mid-20th century, this book is wonderful. I listened to Bob read the unabridged version while on a long road trip. A rich pleasure for about 15 hours or so.
Jun 16, 2009
Lobstergirl
marked it as will-never-read
I just can't imagine ever being curious enough about what Bob Schieffer couldn't tell me on TV to read this.
Ever notice how Bob has eyes like the Doonesbury cartoon characters? Interesting.
Ever notice how Bob has eyes like the Doonesbury cartoon characters? Interesting.
This was a really interesting behind-the-scenes look at Bob Schieffer's career as a broadcast journalist. I'm not a big fan of CBS News, but I always did like Bob...he's the sort of old school reporter (along with Dan Rather, who is mentioned frequently in this book, and Tom Brokaw) that we don't see much of anymore. The things he's seen, the people he's known and the stories he's covered are just fascinating, and the audiobook was particularly good, probably because he read it. Recommended if y...more
If you're expecting one of those polarizing, didactic tell-alls from Mr. Schieffer, you will be disappointed. In a world in which the microphone is generally ceded to the loudest guy in the room as opposed to the smartest, THIS JUST IN is an earnest, level-headed, refreshingly centrist look at 40 years of American history through the eyes of one of the elder statesmen of the news media.
Unfortunately the book's centrism is also its flaw. Sometimes I felt like Mr. Schieffer is too far above the fr...more
Unfortunately the book's centrism is also its flaw. Sometimes I felt like Mr. Schieffer is too far above the fr...more
I do enjoy reading history from the journalists point of view and Schieffer's outing is most enjoyable. Needless to say, well written and eminently comprehensible.
I liked this book. I enjoyed reading details about all the headlines I read & political figures I knew growing up.
Just ask my Mom how much I liked this book--I kept trying to give it to her on holidays!
If you're a Network TV news junkie, or a member of the Bob Schieffer fan club, you'll thoroughly enjoy this book. If you stayed high during the 60's, and don't remember the Cuba Missle Crisis, the '68 Democratic convention in Chicago, or subsequent events like Watergate, Spiro Agnew, or Whitewater, you'll enjoy the nostalgia of the review of those events. Schieffer is a good writer and story teller, but the book is pretty much a walk-through of events from his broadcast life, without much or any...more
Very well done. History of world events seen through the eyes of the reporter.
This is really good non-fiction.
excellent
Witness to much of the history of the last half-century makes a good storyteller. He is engaging and shares good insights into how human nature and political behavior work.
Interesting look at recent history. It gave a good perspective of events that I remember.
Great personal story of where this nationally known journalist came from - and it was humble beginnings in case you are wondering. He talks about what it's like to be a national anchor, the challenges he faced balancing a demanding profession and his desire to be a good family man, and his personal reactions to some of the people that he interviewed and worked with. These behind the scenes anecdotes made for a much fuller picture of the news and the men and women who gather and televise it.
This is a really neat book by Bob Schieffer. It's a collection of personal reactions to different interviews and stories that he covered for the radio, newspaper, and TV industries. It talks about his own feelings that sometimes goes against the grain of what he was told to believe. His style is quite conversational, and it's a really good book to read to get a first person account of some of the biggest people to influence modern history.
I particularly enjoyed the firsthand accounts of "newsworthy" events that happened in the last half of the 20th century. It is one thing to read about these events in textbooks quite another to read a firsthand account.
One of my favorite television personalities. A nice man who has witnessed some of the most important events of his generation. Interesting insight into how the news gets reported.
a fun way to learn modern history - personal yet educational - well done
Merged review:
audio read by the author was a great way to learn modern history "from the inside"
Merged review:
audio read by the author was a great way to learn modern history "from the inside"
Really enjoyed this book. It was great to see how he got started adn moreover, how journalism has changed over the decades.
Some books you read beginning to end. This one I read the beginning and end. Just could not get into it.
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Bob Lloyd Schieffer is an American journalist who has been with CBS News since 1969, serving 23 years as anchor on the Saturday edition of CBS Evening News from 1973 to 1996; chief Washington correspondent since 1982, moderator of the Sunday public affairs show Face the Nation since 1991, and, between March 2005 and August 31, 2006, interim weekday anchor of the CBS Evening News.
Schieffer is one o...more
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“I had the chance to make every possible mistake and figure out a way to recover from it. Once you realize there is life after mistakes, you gain a self-confidence that never goes away.”
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Jan 23, 2009 09:10pm