If Rupert Murdoch isn't making headlines, he's busy buying the media outlets that generate the headlines. His News Corp. holdings-from the" New Yor...
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reviews
Oct 08, 2010
Jonny99
rated it: 
Too much bio not enough tell-all. Michael Wolff promises to take you into the ”Secret World of Rupert Murdoch” , a world that turns out to be far less interesting than you might expect given that Rupert is among the world’s ten or so most influential people. Certainly Rupert is part of the problem – he doesn’t say much, he works constantly and secretly running the world leaves little time for hobbies. However, most of the blame is Wolff’s. Wolff perseverates over describing Murdoch often de
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Jul 27, 2009
Caitlin
rated it: 
Not really much new here, despite the author interviewing Murdoch a number of times. The stuff about his family and third marriage has all been rehashed to death here in Australia, but may be newer to overseas audiences?
The style kind of grated on me - this kind of gee whiz, forced flippant tone as if that's the only way to keep the reader interested in a business story. It was hard to tell what was comming from Murdoch and what Wolff was just kind of speculating on out of thin air.
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The style kind of grated on me - this kind of gee whiz, forced flippant tone as if that's the only way to keep the reader interested in a business story. It was hard to tell what was comming from Murdoch and what Wolff was just kind of speculating on out of thin air.
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Feb 05, 2009
Bookmarks Magazine
rated it:
By no means has Michael Wolff given the world the definitive biography of Rupert Murdoch. Several critics, especially those in the United Kingdom, felt that he had not even written a factually adequate one, leaving out major episodes and making several major errors. Others wrote that Wolff has written an interesting book but that it never truly penetrates the "secret world" of its subtitle. But like the tabloid newspapers upon which Murdoch built his empire, The Man Who Owns the News o
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Jun 29, 2009
Zach
rated it:
The book has some interesting insight into Murdoch, it especially paints an interesting perspective of Murdoch as at his heart a newspaperman. From this perspective, the book does present an intersting description of the transition of the newspaper from a highly local entity with reporters largely from the working class who were in an almost white collar position (many did not have college degrees in the early years) to the post-Watergate world where journalism becomes a "respected" f
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Apr 28, 2009
Bruno
rated it: 
It's hard to rate this book because it's a compelling read yet the writing style is utterly infuriating. The book follows Murdoch's purchase of the Wall Street Journal and uses that as a structure to dip into the past to important moments in his life. The trouble is the author writes in the present tense, even in the past and then refers to things that will happen in the future tense but which are still in the past within the book's narrative, it gets torturous. And then every now and again, he
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Jan 24, 2009
Richard
rated it:
I enjoyed this book and it was certainly the best bio I've read of Rupert Murdoch (there aren't too many of them and the last one I tried was a hatchet job based around some weird political conspiracy theory, which I abandoned less than halfway through). So comparatively speaking, this bio was well researched and relatively objective.
The author, Michael Wolff, nevertheless couldn't help inserting any number of his own literary theories and spins on Murdoch's story - which were in so More...
The author, Michael Wolff, nevertheless couldn't help inserting any number of his own literary theories and spins on Murdoch's story - which were in so More...
Jun 01, 2010
Chris
rated it:
While there were moments that I found this book entertaining, I don't mind saying that Michael Wolff's writing in general drives me crazy. Though he insists he interviewed boatloads of people, including Murdoch many many times, much of the book comes down to Wolff simply imaging what may or may not have been going through people's minds. He lays out possible scenarios, then suggests others, but offers no firm thoughts on why people actually did what they did. It seemed much of this could have be
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Jan 30, 2009
Kathleen
rated it:
Fascinating book about the man who owns most of the news media, News Corp., including Wall Street Journal, MySpace, Fox News and more. The author had unprecedented access to Rupert Murdoch and his mother and family. It attempts to make him a vulnerable character, a man who attempts to appease his father and loves newspapers to the extent of jeopardizing his family relationships. Married three times, he is an overbearing father who pushes his children to work in his business only. Parts of thi
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Jan 21, 2009
Kathleen
rated it:
Another Audible book which I listened to on traveling to and from New York this weekend. I was fascinated. Wolff organizes the narrative around Murdoch's purchase of the Wall Street Journal with flashbacks to the key moments of his career that lead up to the present. They guy has guts and instincts for what is coming, and boy is he one bold dude. I hate is politics but I can't help but admiring him.
Nov 28, 2009
Jo
rated it:
I only read about half of this book before the library demanded it back due to being reserved by another patron. I probably could have finished it on time but it was not managing to keep me interested. The subject material is so interesting, yet the book was very dry, and the shifting back and forth in time line didn't work for me at all. I would rather have read more about Murdoch himself and less about the former owners of Dow Jones.
Mar 03, 2009
Rosie
rated it:
Mainly a bio focusing 60% on his business dealings and 40% on his family. He is presented as a hard driven, laser-focused workaholic with a thoroughly dysfunctional family. The writing format is choppy and jumps around too much. Does let you know you need to be the biggest shark in the tank to get to the top.
Aug 02, 2011
Ian
rated it:
Potentially interesting subject but the author's ego looms larger than that of his subjects. Wolff has so many opinions that Rupert and co barely get a word in edgeways. I quit at page 66 when he said that the Daily Mail is arguably the UKs most influential paper. Complete tosh but made me laugh out loud.
Aug 03, 2011
This writer misses NOTHING in his retelling of the complicated mating ritual between Murdoch and the Bancroft family, from whom he purchased the Wall Street Journal. You can tell Wolff has an ear for gossip, because it takes just that kind of personality to follow this tale...
Jan 05, 2009
I'm not sure what I find more disquieting: the subject of the book or the style it's written in. It's an informative story, and but the author's prejudices, and what appears to be his dislike for Murdoch, are driven home by the author with the grace of an Abrams tank.
Feb 02, 2009
As much as I may despise the political tendencies of Rupert Murdoch, it is an undeniable fact that he is a business-savvy media mogul. I started Wolff's thus far excellent book, and Murdoch's life is as fascinating as one would imagine.
Nov 02, 2009
Delight
rated it:
I was looking for a little more scoopage on Rupert Murdoch than this book dished. Regardless of your personal politics, Murdoch is fascinating (money doesn't seem to drive him) and his dogged pursuit of the WSJ is well chronicled here.
Sep 28, 2009
Jeanette
rated it: 
What am amazing portrayal of Murdoch's take over of the Dow Jones. Wolff did not waste the gift he was given to be able to interview Murdoch and his associates directly. AMAZING read!
Sep 29, 2010
Louise
rated it:
I went into this book wanting, and expecting to despise Murdoch. However I found myself understanding him more and while still not approving of many of his viewpoints or the fact that they are always 'advertised' in his newspapers.
Jul 31, 2009
Nathan
rated it:
Fascinating stuff. Wolff's a hell of a writer. Starts a little slow but picks up speed.
Jun 10, 2011
my favorite quote/story from the book is this: meeting with murdoch, his sons, and tony blair. "murdoch gives his usual, and deeply felt, defense of israel, and James, from across the dinner table, told his father that he was "fucking talking nonsense." murdoch went on, saying that he failed to understand the palestinian complaints, and james replied, "they were kicked out of their fucking homes and had nowhere to fucking live."
overall, the book felt more More...
overall, the book felt more More...
Feb 09, 2012
Billbob
rated it:
A great book on the man who may be the most important person in the News World.
Few people have the vision and guts to come from very small beginnings in the business world
to conquer an industry (news) in Multiple countries and effectively covering the whole world: from the Far East, across Europe and the U.S. In both Print and TV. Just a fascinating story that is continuing today. The October Vanity Fair Magazine is covering the latest on the War with the NYTimes.
Few people have the vision and guts to come from very small beginnings in the business world
to conquer an industry (news) in Multiple countries and effectively covering the whole world: from the Far East, across Europe and the U.S. In both Print and TV. Just a fascinating story that is continuing today. The October Vanity Fair Magazine is covering the latest on the War with the NYTimes.
Feb 01, 2009
Andy
rated it:
While the topic of Murdoch interested me, this book is disorganized and poorly written & edited... just like... oh a Murdoch Tabloid story; which may indeed be the author's point.
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Apr 11, 2009
Mikelkpoet
rated it: 
I put this book down, almost immediately, because I got the feeling that the author was some sort of insider in Murdoch's world, and not an objective journalist who could and would give us an honest look at Murdoch. If I want PR, I'll pick up PR.
Feb 05, 2012
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