Audition

Aug 20, 2009 Ryan Curell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Barbara Walters's Audition is a massive, entertaining memoir that chronicles her troubled family life as she became one of television's most respected journalists.

My draw to the book was its focus on a television journalist who hob-knobs with celebrities, heads of state and American politicians while she juggles a career and a family life. Walters goes into great detail of growing up alongside her mentally disabled sister Jackie, her showman father Lou and later bringing up her adopted daughter...more Barbara Walters's Audition is a massive, entertaining memoir that chronicles her troubled family life as she became one of television's most respected journalists.

My draw to the book was its focus on a television journalist who hob-knobs with celebrities, heads of state and American politicians while she juggles a career and a family life. Walters goes into great detail of growing up alongside her mentally disabled sister Jackie, her showman father Lou and later bringing up her adopted daughter Jackie (named after her sister).

Walters is candid in revealing her mistakes and especially her guilt. In no small measure she talks about how it's difficult - however otherwise it seems - for a woman to maintain a grasp on marriage (she's been married and divorced three times), to raise a well-adjusted daughter (who rebelled in her teen years) and to further her career (despite her huge success, she faced numerous challenges rising through the ranks of "Today" and later as co-anchor of the evening news with Harry Reasoner).

Walters talks about how she was ashamed of having a sister who was a drag on her social life. She talks about how it was hard to talk to her father late in his life, after his many successes and bitter failures. She talks about how she neglected her husbands and daughter. She not only expresses but is very aware of her guilt - but she hardly pities herself, is always grateful for her tremendous success and thankful to the many hands that helped her along the way.

Not surprising, Walters's book is at its best when she's being most honest: She never acts like she had it all, and she describes what she gave up to get where she is. Though at times she provides maybe too much detail about her own struggles, one can't help but sympathize with her as she describes her life being pulled in different directions. But eventually she decides she's talked enough about herself, and the book abruptly switches gears and she talks about the last 25 years of interviewing movie stars, presidents, first ladies, murderers, white-collar criminals, Monica Lewinsky and her tenure on 20/20 and The View.

The gossipy tidbits, while interesting, are also mildly empty after she stops intertwining her personal life with the struggles and triumphs of her career. While an alternate work that evenly mixed personal and professional may have been a staggering 900-page memoir, it would have been a complete work instead of one that feels like it may have become tiresome for its author as she neared completion (or maybe cut by a non-judicious editor).

But that's not to say the tidbits aren't anything but fascinating. Her chapter focusing on interviewing and getting to know presidents and first ladies is one of the best of the book. Most revealing is her story about interviewing Gerald and Betty Ford. Betty, who was apparently drunk and slurring words throughout the interview, was mercifully saved by Walters, who opted to narrate over parts featuring Betty instead of showing her in an inebriated state - a decision, she says, she would have never made today.

Sadly, no juicy tidbits for Walters's chapters on The View - which provide detail but no real insight on her very public spats with Star Jones, Rosie O'Donnell, Donald Trump, etc. (as my friend Debbie said, maybe she was afraid of lawsuit...). Nor does Walters get too descriptive of her highly-rated interview with Monica Lewinsky - which was seen by more than 50 million viewers less than a month after President Clinton was acquitted by the U.S. Senate.

Despite its late-book shortcomings, it is an exceptional book - a genuine work full of insight on women's careers, journalism and the highly competitive world of broadcast news.(less)

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Aug 24, 2008 Bridget rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This isn't a particularly well-written memoir, but certainly a worthwhile read (especially if you have an uncontrollable love of The View, like me).

Barbara Walters had a really interesting childhood - her father was a nightclub producer who constantly went between success and bankruptcy, so Babs grew up on each end of the economic spectrum.

Her career in television was pretty groundbreaking, which we take for granted at this point. She had no background in journalism, but ended up becoming the...more This isn't a particularly well-written memoir, but certainly a worthwhile read (especially if you have an uncontrollable love of The View, like me).

Barbara Walters had a really interesting childhood - her father was a nightclub producer who constantly went between success and bankruptcy, so Babs grew up on each end of the economic spectrum.

Her career in television was pretty groundbreaking, which we take for granted at this point. She had no background in journalism, but ended up becoming the first female co-anchor on television. She speaks about this milestone without aggrandizing herself; she's quite nonchalant about it saying that to her, she was just trying to do good work so as not to loose her job.

The middle section of the book is where she discusses significant interviews she did with world leaders in the 70s, focusing on her role in bringing Middle East politics to the attention of the US audience.

From there on through the end, the book is more or less a checklist of famous people she has interviewed and personal anecdotes. It's not too insightful, nothing I can't see in an hour on a "Best of Barbara Walters Specials". I would have preferred that she spend more time on her early career and the gender politics she so successfully navigated. (Though I might say, despite being an important figure in the feminist movement - like it or not, she was - I got the impression that she prefers the company of men. It seemed like she only saw her female counterparts as competition instead of colleagues.)

She does discuss her personal life: three failed marriages; growing up feeling resentful of a mentally disabled sister; a daughter who went through troubling teenage years; constantly feeling the pressure of needing to provide for her family and fear of not being able to provide for herself due to her father's financial inadequacies; the difficulties in balancing a career and motherhood. She's honest about things she wishes that she could have done differently in the past, and I respect that she addressed them in print.

Note to fans of The View: There is one chapter dedicated to the show, but it is far too short and should have had way more gossip. (less)

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Jul 01, 2008 Karynn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. I am not a huge fan of non-fiction but found Barbara's story both informative and entertaining. She really had to work to get to where she is today and personally gave up a lot on the way.

The peak back into history was also very interesting and as she points out in the book, issues that we are facing today are issues that we have faced in the recent past. Barbara was a newswoman who was able to interview many of the world’s leaders (Fidel Castro, Yasir Arafat, Anwar...more

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Jul 14, 2008 Hilda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everybody!

I finally finished "Audition". It took me a long time not because it's difficult to read - it's definitely not - I just read it in small increments. I really enjoyed the book. Although quite long (500+ pages) I didn't find it had any slow sections, which i find often happens in long books, particularly memoirs.

I've always liked Walters well enough, and this book may have made me like her a bit less. Although her professional accomplishments are spectacular, no question, I found her - at least t...more I finally finished "Audition". It took me a long time not because it's difficult to read - it's definitely not - I just read it in small increments. I really enjoyed the book. Although quite long (500+ pages) I didn't find it had any slow sections, which i find often happens in long books, particularly memoirs.

I've always liked Walters well enough, and this book may have made me like her a bit less. Although her professional accomplishments are spectacular, no question, I found her - at least the way she presents herself in this book - to be rather shallow. For example, I am bothered that she goes out of her way to not reveal her age (she'll be 79 in September) when anyone can do what I did and Google it! Hell, if I were 79 and looked the way she looks and was still working in my chosen profession I'd holler it from the roof tops!

The story of her professional trajectory is fascinating because of the barriers she broke down without really meaning to - she just did it. She talks about a lot of the interviews she had with a plethora of fascinating people, and I found myself remembering them. When put all together the way they're presented in the book, you realize she really has interviewed practically anyone who was anyone in the last 40 years! A clear representation of that is the inside of the front and back covers where the names of all the people she's interviewed are listed alphabetically - very cool.

Not only did she interview important people, in some cases, she actually played small parts in the actual history, serving as a go-between or delivering messages. Again, very cool. Also, in addition to describing the interviews, getting the interviews, etc. she also provides a brief historical overview, enough so that we can understand why the interview was significant and what the ramifications were.

Despite her exposure to the world however, she came across to me as somewhat naive and rather old-fashioned in some aspects. She is after all a woman of her generation and although I'm not in any way saying she's a racist, at points she views and reacts to racial issues as a person of her generation would, and it's a little jarring - at least to me. And although she's obviously clever, she doesn't strike as particularly intelligent.

There's also the matter of her affairs with married men (yes there was more than one) that personally disappoints me. However, she is very honest about her difficulties raising her daughter, her inability to maintain a marriage, and her inability to deal in a healthy manner with her family's issues.

I definitely recommend the book and encourage everyone to not be intimidated by the length of the book - again it is very easy to read and will bring back a lot of memories - as Walters has been witness to a lot of history.

By the way, I don't care what she says - I still think she slept with Fidel Castro!
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Jun 16, 2008 Erica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I cant remember why i wanted to read this book, but apparently I requested it from the library. I was a little apprehensive about trying to read it in 7 days due to the length and the fact that i seem to have a short attention span these days (Livermore Library only lets you check out new books for 7 days! a policy change is in order - at least give us 10).

The book is actually well written and kept my attention throughout. It was interesting to read about how she started out in the industry and...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who likes non-fiction

Recommended to Mary by: Bookmooch

Shelves: 96-100, bookmooch, hardcover, non-fiction, favorites, 1990-2009, read-but-unowned

After more than 40 years interviewing heads of state, world leaders, movie stars, criminals and murderers, inspirational figures and celebrities of all kinds, the most influential woman in the history of television journalism finally writes her memoir. Barbara Walters's perception of the world was formed from a very early age. Her father, Lou Walters, was the owner and creative mind behind the legendary Latin Quarter nightclub, and it was his risk-taking lifestyle that gave Barbara her first tas...more After more than 40 years interviewing heads of state, world leaders, movie stars, criminals and murderers, inspirational figures and celebrities of all kinds, the most influential woman in the history of television journalism finally writes her memoir. Barbara Walters's perception of the world was formed from a very early age. Her father, Lou Walters, was the owner and creative mind behind the legendary Latin Quarter nightclub, and it was his risk-taking lifestyle that gave Barbara her first taste of glamour. It also made her aware of the ups and downs, the insecurities, and even the tragedies that can occur when someone is willing to take such great risks, for Lou Walters not only made several fortunes - he also lost them.

Barbara learned early about the damage that such an existence can do to relationships - between husband and wife as well as between parent and child. Throughout her roller-coaster ride of a childhood, Barbara had a constant companion, her mentally-challenged sister, Jackie. True, Jackie taught her younger sister much about patience and compassion, however Barbara also writes honestly about the resentment she often felt having a sister who was so "different" and the guilt that still haunts her.

All of this - the financial responsibility for her family, the fear, the love - played a large part in the choices Barbara made as she grew up: the friendships she developed, the relationships she had, the marriages she tried to make work. Ultimately, thanks to her drive, as well as a decent amount of luck, she began a career in television. And what a career it has been! Against incredible odds, Barbara has made it to the top of a male-dominated industry. She is a true trail-blazer within the industry, becoming the most trusted television journalist of all time. She has not only interviewed the world's most fascinating figures, she has become a part of their world.

I really enjoyed this book! After having it on my bookshelf unread for almost three years, I finally took the plunge and read it. At 579 pages, I was somewhat daunted to begin reading, despite really wanting to read this book almost from the moment it was published! Overall, it was an incredibly interesting and engaging book for me to read, even though there were one or two chapters that were slow reading. I must say that Barbara Walters has lived an incredibly exciting life and has done much to be admired for by her peers. Ultimately, I give Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters an A+!(less)

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Jan 14, 2010 Kellie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008-reads, non-fiction, autobiography-biography-memoir, 2010-reads

I read this in 2008. It was chosen as a bookclub book so I'm overjoyed to read it again....
2008 review...
This was one of those books I got totally lost in. I would read it in the Y and before I knew it, I was on the bike for 7 miles and it felt like only 1. Barbara Walters was like a fixture on our shelf in our living room as a kid. Always there, but I didn't pay much attention to her. Looking back, I remember that fixture and I am reliving my childhood and all the memories of my family and the...more

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Oct 02, 2008 Red rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, sf

Meh. It was interesting reading about Barbara's early life, but once she started her actual career it was just name dropping to the Nth degree. I actually skipped around the last 2/3rds of the book. Read the chapter entitled "Sept. 11th, and then nothing else mattered." But only a few paragraphs actually deal with the tragedy and how she felt or responded and the rest is just more of the same this name and that name. Blah, blah, blah. Possibly the most informative chapter for me, was the one tha...more

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Mar 02, 2009 drowningmermaid rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio

The early reminisces of her childhood are far more engaging than the disconnected series of remembered interviews. Far too much attention to what everyone wears and how it coordinates for my taste, but perhaps she needed this to work in TV. But the repeated use of the phrase "I've never said this before" makes me question whether I am now, in truth, getting the "whole" story.

I found the Monica Lewinsky story a little disturbing, because it describes some of the wining and dining she, and many ot...more

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Jul 07, 2008 Librarian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adultnonfiction, biographymemoir, pop

Stay with me here. It was good, really. Yes, Barbara Walters is cheesy. Yes, she has antiquated ideas. But man, her life is interesting. She dated closeted Ray Cohn, partner in crime to Joseph McCarthy! Errol Flynn hit on her at a party! She was cooling out socially with Henry Kissinger! She had a Baroness working for her as her kid's governess! She doesn't seem to have any political misgivings about anything, which was a little disturbing. In fact, in true reporter form, perhaps, she steers awa...more

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Feb 18, 2009 Judy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wasn't sure that I was willing to read 600 pages about the life of Barbara Walters, but I'm glad that I took the plunge. A highly enjoyable book in which Walters peels back the layers of her life and let's us look inside. Her descriptions of her childhood with her father who was always looking for the pot of gold with his nightclubs in both Miami and New York (The Latin Quarter), a mentally challenged older sister, and a mother who was alternately depressed and anxious were fascinating. It's a...more

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Feb 03, 2009 Ellen Puccinelli rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book mostly because I like to butt into other people's business, honestly. I have watched The View and Barbara's interviews on tv, of course, and have always thought she was an intelligent woman and a good journalist, but beyond that haven't given much thought to her one way or the other - she always seemed very professional and proper. I pictured her going home in the evening to a nice cup of tea and feeling rich and smug. After reading her book, I can report that I was exactly half...more

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Jan 31, 2009 Sandie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century-women

Who better to write a tell-all book about Barbara Walters than the woman herself. In her memoir, AUDITION, Walters tells of the men in her personal life; husbands and lovers who ranged from bland and boring to fascinating and profound. While she searched for, and to date has never found, the romantic Prince Charming to fulfill her private life, it seems that her professional life has more than compensated for those personal losses.

She has managed to cultivate a plethora of prominent friends, ac...more

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Jan 03, 2009 Pris robichaud rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Is Barbara A Journalist Or Is She Cher?" asks WalterCronkite, May 22, 2008
"Walters nonetheless takes care to report on the very public drubbing she received at the hands of her male peers during the summer between her departure from "Today" and the start of her tenure at ABC. "I am trying to have an open mind about it," was the less-than-supportive statement her future co-anchor Harry Reasoner made to the papers. CBS News president Richard Salant asked, "Is Barbara a journalist or is she Cher?"...more Is Barbara A Journalist Or Is She Cher?" asks WalterCronkite, May 22, 2008
"Walters nonetheless takes care to report on the very public drubbing she received at the hands of her male peers during the summer between her departure from "Today" and the start of her tenure at ABC. "I am trying to have an open mind about it," was the less-than-supportive statement her future co-anchor Harry Reasoner made to the papers. CBS News president Richard Salant asked, "Is Barbara a journalist or is she Cher?" while Walter Cronkite announced that Walters' move gave him "the sickening sensation that we're all going under." Rebecca Traister

By now Barbara Walters has been on every TV, radio and media event to publicize her new book, 'Audition'. There is very little we do not know about her. Barbara is an icon to many, as she was the first woman to co-star on NBC's 'Today'. She went on to appear on ABC's nightly news with Harry Reasoner. Her unfortunate experiences colored the feeling so many women had towards Barbara's male colleagues. She certainly tried to break the barriers.

Barbara's early childhood was difficult but it gave her a certain confidence on how to relate with almost anyone. Her father, Lou Walters, was rarely home and at one point wanted a divorce from his wife. Barbara's mother cajoled her into going to her father and begging him not to leave his family. From that moment on what interview could be more difficult than that? As we are learn the interviews came one after another and Barbara became the competitive woman she is today. She tells us in this book, that she is through auditioning, but if, someone were to call her and say that Osama Ben Laden was willing to grant an interview, she would be ready. Barbara tells us of the difficulty she had with her young daughter, Jackie. Jackie became a drug addict and left home. Barbara assisted Jackie in putting her life together and today they have a wonderful relationship. Jackie was named after Barbara's sister Jackie. She was disabled and Barbara spent much if her childhood alone. She did not want to bring anyone home. Though Barbara was very attentive to her sister and to her familyh. At a certain point in her life, she was the breadwinner for the entire family.

Barbara has been married three times. Many wonder if Barbara has been looking for her father. Why do we care and why do we wonder? Barbara reveals the loves and lives of some of the men she met along the way. The most shocking to many people, was her affair with Sen. Edward Brooks. With these revelations, Barbara has attempted to show us that she is a regular person who has had a life of ups and downs, miseries and happiness . She has experienced a life that most of us would envy but she wonders if she had the time to appreciate all that her life afforded. She has interviewed most of the famous people in her world. But did she have fun during this time?

"Surely the finest and most revealing moment in "Audition" comes near the end, when Walters describes being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, for O magazine, on the occasion of her retirement from "20/20." Oprah asks her what it "means" to be Barbara Walters, a question that may exceed even the high Walters-ian bar for pop-psych pseudo-depth. Walters responds that she's not sure. "I realize how blessed I have been but sometimes I still feel inadequate," she tells Oprah. "I don't cook. I can't drive. Most of the time, when I look back on what I've done, I think: Did I do that? Why didn't I enjoy it more? Was I working too hard to see?" As Walters reports in her book, "I looked up at Oprah and saw that she had tears in her eyes." And there it is, the meaning of Barbara Walters. She can even make her interviewer cry." Nicholas Lemann

'Audition' has been likened to Katharine Graham's autobiography, 'Personal History'. There is a slight resemblance, but what is missing from Barbara Walter's book is the frankness of Katharine Graham. The inner revelation of the woman, and the one story after another of the public people she has interviewed. There are not enough stories interwoven to bring this storyline continuity. However, this book is highly entertaining and even at its great length, 579 pages.

Recommended. prisrob 05-22-08
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Sep 24, 2012 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although Walters writes, “It was not in my nature to be courageous, to be the first,” her compulsively readable memoir proves otherwise. No one lasts on TV for more than 45 years without the ability to make viewers feel comfortable, and Walters's amiable persona perfectly translates to the page. She gives us an entertaining panorama of a full life lived and recounted with humor and bracing honesty. Walters is surprisingly candid: about her older sister's retardation, her father's suicide attempt...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Here we have the memoir of an over-achiever, for sure. Walters is not a scintillating writer, but it’s still an interesting memoir, because she’s experienced so much history firsthand. She’s not afraid to reveal times when she felt inadequate, and there are a lot of them.

She persevered in spite of the fact that nobody really took much account of her at first. She was just a girl on TV, basically someone to pour the coffee, and she had to work incredibly hard to be taken even slightly seriously....more

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Feb 05, 2012 Readitnweep rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, 20th-century

An interesting read - Ms. Walters was very open in telling about how she became the first woman in television journalism and how she continued to further her career for decades. She was a lot more open than I would have anticipated, had I thought about it. I came upon the book by surprise and I'm very glad I did. It's also a good insight on historical events and leaders of the last century and the reading flowed smoothly from one subject to the next.

I did skim through certain things - while the...more

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Apr 29, 2011 Ann added it

I picked up this memoir from the bargain table at Borders and am glad I did. By the end of the 582nd page, I felt like I truly knew Barbara Walters. She is a very amazing woman ... a journalist who has worked incredibly hard, traveled and interviewed hundreds of the most famous and/or infamous people and been incredibly successful ... She is Jewish and has embraced that heritage somewhat but admits that her own family never really participated in any of the Jewish traditions and God has not bee...more I picked up this memoir from the bargain table at Borders and am glad I did. By the end of the 582nd page, I felt like I truly knew Barbara Walters. She is a very amazing woman ... a journalist who has worked incredibly hard, traveled and interviewed hundreds of the most famous and/or infamous people and been incredibly successful ... She is Jewish and has embraced that heritage somewhat but admits that her own family never really participated in any of the Jewish traditions and God has not been a very important part of her life.
Barbara shares her personal life in detail starting with her own family that included her mother, father, and her mentally handicapped sister. She shares how her sister's handicap was considered somewhat shameful in the era in which she grew up. Her mother never went anywhere without her sister and often begged Barbara to take her with her on outings with friends. This built some resentment into the younger Barbara and led to some guilt in later years. Her father was a nightclub producer producing many successful shows ... gaining and losing several fortunes. Because of this pattern, Barbara shares that she felt like her father was always just a step away from losing everything. It's one thing that's made her so incredibly driven to succeed ... and often she has felt insecure in spite of her own success. As successful as she's been in her professional life, her marriages have been about as unsuccessful ! She's been married and divorced three times. I felt so sorry for her and ached for her to really know a solid marriage. I think she always was looking for something more than what she had ... and did not know how to balance home with professional life. She said often what a tough challenge that was.
Her second marriage between her and Lee Guber brought the anguish of infertility and the joy of adoption when they adopted their daughter, Jackie. That seemed to be the closest she came to a successful relationship ... and honestly, I didn't know why she was unable to make that relationship work. Of course, I truly believe that had she ever been able to build a relationship with the God of her Jewish heritage, she would have had the foundation for all other relationships. She was also so very honest with her struggles with her relationship with her daughter ... which has come wonderfully full circle and made them very close.
I loved all the details she tells about the many many people that she's met and who have made such a contribution to her life. In this book, she is poignantly honest and wonderfully human. I enjoyed it very much. (less)

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Jan 24, 2011 Linda Appelbaum rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Grab a cup of coffee, sit down and let Barbara tell you her story. This book is almost like having her sit down with you and tell you face to face her life story. I was never a big fam of hers, but I very much enjoyed reading this book because she had so many interesting stories and has interviewed almost anyone who is anyone! I came away with a different impression of her than I had before reading the book. She isn't the stuck up, haughty woman she sometimes appears to be, but rather a reserved...more

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May 14, 2010 Amber rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My reading of this book was completely by accident. I got the book from my book club's annual book exchange and it sat on my shelf collecting dust for a couple of years. Alas, having recently finished my masters I was reading any non-textbook I could get my hands on... and my hands happened upon this. And, I'm so glad they did!

This book was a page turner! In interviews, Barbara describes the book as a lot of things (juicy, a fun read, a story of struggle), but the one thing she doesn't mention i...more

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Jan 16, 2010 Gary Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just finished her memoirs. She does a show once a year called "Ten Most Fascinating People". She deserves to be one of those people. Very fascinating book. No long review this time.

Except for a couple of observations. She admits in her book about a long time and very secretive love affair with former Sen. Edward Brooke, while he was still married. She talks about it and analyzes it from what would happen to their careers if it ever came out. There was no analyzes about whether this was right or...more

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Sep 17, 2009 Jen Richer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Babs was a great read as far as a memoir goes. But not going to lie - as a journo junkie, I was drawn to the 500 page brick in hopes of tale of a self-aware ball buster who blazed a trail for journalistas. What a got was a way too detailed affair list and a passive narrator who interviewed "just the nicest/kindest/sweetest" people. Hokie Dokie shallow cookie. Sure everything was sugary sweet. Look Babs you're on the verge of retirement from one of the greatest careers EVER. I'm sure you stepped...more

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Aug 21, 2009 Lorri Coburn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Barbara Walters' story of her climb to the top is fascinating. She endured a lot of flack for being a woman, with Harry Reasoner openly scorning her on network news. While seen by some as audacious and pushy, she presents herself as always insecure about losing her job, hence her perfectionism, persistence, and the title "Audition," because she continually felt she was auditioning anew. While enduring backlash for being the first woman network anchor person, she received a card that said, "Don't...more

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Jul 17, 2009 RNOCEAN added it · review of another edition

Young people starting out in television sometimes say to me: “I want to be you.” My stock reply is always: “Then you have to take the whole package.”And now, at last, the most important woman in the history of television journalism gives us that “whole package,” in her inspiring and riveting memoir. After more than forty years of interviewing heads of state, world leaders, movie stars, criminals, murderers, inspirational figures, and celebrities of all kinds, Barbara Walters has turned her gift...more Young people starting out in television sometimes say to me: “I want to be you.” My stock reply is always: “Then you have to take the whole package.”And now, at last, the most important woman in the history of television journalism gives us that “whole package,” in her inspiring and riveting memoir. After more than forty years of interviewing heads of state, world leaders, movie stars, criminals, murderers, inspirational figures, and celebrities of all kinds, Barbara Walters has turned her gift for examination onto herself to reveal the forces that shaped her extraordinary life.Barbara Walters’s perception of the world was formed at a very early age. Her father, Lou Walters, was the owner and creative mind behind the legendary Latin Quarter nightclub, and it was his risk-taking lifestyle that gave Barbara her first taste of glamour. It also made her aware of the ups and downs, the insecurities, and even the tragedies that can occur when someone is willing to take great risks, for Lou Walters didn’t just make several fortunes—he also lost them. Barbara learned early about the damage that such an existence can do to relationships—between husband and wife as well as between parent and child. Through her roller-coaster ride of a childhood, Barbara had a close companion, her mentally challenged sister, Jackie. True, Jackie taught her younger sister much about patience and compassion, but Barbara also writes honestly about the resentment she often felt having a sister who was so “different” and the guilt that still haunts her.All of this—the financial responsibility for herfamily, the fear, the love—played a large part in the choices she made as she grew up: the friendships she developed, the relationships she had, the marriages she tried to make work. Ultimately, thanks to her drive, combined with a decent amount of luck, she began a career in television. And what a career it has been! Against great odds, Barbara has made it to the top of a male-dominated industry. She was the first woman cohost of the Today show, the first female network news coanchor, the host and producer of countless top-rated Specials, the star of 20/20, and the creator and cohost of The View. She has not just interviewed the world’s most fascinating figures, she has become a part of their world. These are just a few of the names that play a key role in Barbara’s life, career, and book: Yasir Arafat, Warren Beatty, Menachem Begin, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chávez, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Roy Cohn, the Dalai Lama, Princess Diana, Katharine Hepburn, King Hussein, Angelina Jolie, Henry Kissinger, Monica Lewinsky, Richard Nixon, Rosie O’Donnell, Christopher Reeve, Anwar Sadat, John Wayne . . . the list goes on and on.Barbara Walters has spent a lifetime auditioning: for her bosses at the TV networks, for millions of viewers, for the most famous people in the world, and even for her own daughter, with whom she has had a difficult but ultimately quite wonderful and moving relationship. This book, in some ways, is her final audition, as she fully opens up both her private and public lives. In doing so, she has given us a story that is heartbreaking and honest, surprising and fun, sometimes startling, and always fascinating.
****I rate this as a 3.5/5. I have always been a huge fan as well as an admirer of Miss Walters. She fought very hard to get to the place in life that she resides in. She has met so many interesting people, more than many journalists will meet in their lifetimes, let alone their careers. Yet, she seems to put people at ease when she interviews them and asks the questions that I would ask them. She is never condescending to anyone and treats everyone she interviews with equal poise and grace, whether she likes them or not. Her life wasn't always easy, she did have a lot of heartbreak like all of us do, but what a life she has lead. I continue to admire you Barbara, and good book by the way!!!
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Jun 25, 2009 Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am sure there are going to be people who think that Barbara Walters is nothing more than an arrogant uptight snob who only interviews the rich and famous, let me say that would be a wrong assumption to make.

For years, I like millions of others have found Ms. Walters to be one the best journalist on tv. In Audition, Walters, who has a made living from drilling down to the personal lives others, finally opens up about her own private life.

Family is the core of the book. Walters openly writes abo...more

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Apr 11, 2009 Mazola1 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Audition is the fascinating and funny memoir of Barbara Walters, a pioneering woman in broadcasting. Walters really did live through the Golden Age of Television, indeed, she helped to make it so. In her storied career,she interviewed everyone from Presidents to murderers. From being taken on a jeep ride by Fidel Castro through the mountains of Cuba to doing a television special on Saudia Arabia, a country impossible for most outsiders to visit, she had and shared on television many unbelieveabl...more Audition is the fascinating and funny memoir of Barbara Walters, a pioneering woman in broadcasting. Walters really did live through the Golden Age of Television, indeed, she helped to make it so. In her storied career,she interviewed everyone from Presidents to murderers. From being taken on a jeep ride by Fidel Castro through the mountains of Cuba to doing a television special on Saudia Arabia, a country impossible for most outsiders to visit, she had and shared on television many unbelieveable and memorable experiences. Along the way, she virtually created the celebrity interview genre, and saw it change with the times in her decades of television interviews and specials.

Many would (and did) call Walters pushy, calculating and talented. She would probably describe herself as tenacious, tough, hardworking and lucky. She says she had the advantage of being ahead of the game, observing, "How lucky I was." The explanation for her success? "I've worked as hard or harder than anyone else, accepted most every assignment, done my homework, kepts complaints to myself, finished the job, and moved on. That is not a bad formula for success."

Walters' career included serious interviews with heads of state, including every U.S. President from Lyndon Johnson to George W. Bush, foreign leaders such as Golda Meir, Saddam Hussein and Boris Yeltsin, and significant and varied figures like Bill Gates and the Dalai Lama. Increasingly, as time passed, public interest in these types of interviews waned, and the big ratings getters were the celebrity interviews. Emblematic of this shift, and of the growing popularity of stars and scandal, is the fact that Walters describes Monica Lewinsky as the biggest "get" of her career.

Equally revealing is her last 20/20 interview. A big part of the reason she decided to leave the show was that television news magazine shows were changing, shifting from hard news interviews and stories to those featuring murderers and celebrities, especially those with problems. For Walters' last interview, the network brass had to chose between an interview with George W. Bush or one with Mary Kay Letourneau, a California schoolteacher who seduced a teenage student, had a child with him, spent six years in jail for violating a restraining order prohibiting her from having contact with him, and went on to marry him and have another child with him. The choice came down to the President of the United States or a convicted child molester. Walters describes the decision and her reaction to it: "The child molester? The President? The powers that be chose Mary Kay Letourneau. I rest my case."

If it seems like Barbara Walters is the ultimate name dropper, maybe that's because she knew and interviewed hundreds and hundreds of "names." (The inside cover, which is covered with the names of those she interviewed, makes fascinating reading by itself.) Her observations and stories about the rich, the famous, the infamous, the celebrated, the powerful and the talented are pithy, incisive, revealing and often witty. Included are her thoughts on the difficulty of trying to combine a career, marriage and family and how television has changed in 50 years, becoming ever more celebrity obsessed. At almost 600 pages, it's a big book, but somehow I think Walters' biggest problem may have been how to keep it from being even longer. Not that I would have minded that. Bravo, Barbara! (less)

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Dec 28, 2008 Harriet rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I slugged through this book! Her early life was most interesting. But really tired of the intimate details of everything else. What? Did she keep a journal? How did she remember what everyone said? And the name dropping really got to me. I was determined to finish it, but it was done with a lot of speed reading.

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May 23, 2009 Suzanne rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, nonfiction

Barbara Walters writes the way she talks and the informal style is conversational and pleasant. But something essential is missing in Barbara's recounting of her life. There is sadness and melodrama, affairs and broken marriages, professional triumphs and personal loss on every page in this lengthy book. Barbara is quite honest and critical in her self assessments and does not gloss over her personal mistakes. Nonetheless her life's meaning seems to be about "celebrity", not a surprise consider...more

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Jun 19, 2008 Mara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am currently reading Barbara Walters memoir. It's very interesting and I'm only through 50 pages. I keep hearing her voice in my head narrating her life. Pretty cool... I haven’t reached anything scandalous yet, just a lot of background about her younger years. I was curious to learn she was (according to her)... "Very shy and introverted"... Hard to imagine that she made it in such an aggressive and cut throat profession... More to come I'm sure.

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Sep 24, 2012 Abeer mohammed rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

امر حاليا بفتره كنت اعتقد فيها اني راح اترك القراءه الين ما تستقر الأمور، لكن من اول ماتصفحت مذكرات باربارا والترز شدني كل صفحه فيه، قريت الكتاب في اسبوعين تقريبا لما خلصت لقيته اكثر من ٧٠٠ صفحه !
حسيت اني جالسه اقرا تجربه ثريه فادتني كثير هذي الفتره جدا.
- لو عندنا طموح وتمسكنا فيه راح يصير بإذن الله.
- المبادره توصلنا للهدف، باربارا كانت تسافر وتروح وتجي وكانت عادة تحصل على موافقات لقائات
- تعرفت على شخصيات كثير عن قُرب اكثر عن طريق هذا الكتاب زي نانسي ريغان، مارقريت تاتشر، هينري كيسنجر، رشدي سل...more

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