Reporters: Memoirs of a Young Newspaperman

by Will Fowler

signed books

324 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1991

About the author

Will Fowler is Professor of Spanish at the University of St Andrews, where he has taught since 1995. He earned his PhD at the University of Bristol and worked as a lecturer in Spanish at Leicester Polytechnic (subsequently renamed De Montfort University) for four years before joining the University of St Andrews.

Reviews

[Gene Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book by Will Fowler, Gene Fowler's son. He gave me a copy before he passed away and I read it on my train trip back to Denver from California. I loved his chapter on the Black Dahlia murder. I interviewed him in his Sherman Oaks apartment and really got to know about his life and how he grew up in California. Another good chapter is about W. C. Fields "Uncle Claude."

[Lauri · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rambling, oft-offensive tale of the heyday of L.A. journalism. There is some good history in here but not much else. Many typos in this book; makes me think he thought he could edit it himself.

[David Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is florid and disorganized, the copy editing sloppy. Still, if you have an interest in '40s Los Angeles and old-time newspapering, this is a great firsthand account from the reporter who was first on the scene of the Black Dahlia murder. Astonishing today is the access the press had to hospitals and crime scenes -- and morgues, where Fowler, unable to obtain a portrait of a prominent dead man, propped up his corpse, snapped a photo and had an artist paint on a suit.

[Stephan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting enough read.