Charles Kuralt's American Moments

by Charles Kuralt, Charles Osgood (Foreword), Peter Freundlich (Contributor)

The beloved late journalist offers a collection of short studies of some of the colorful, fascinating, and extraordinary characters he met during his joyous odyssey into the heart of America. Reprint.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Memoir, History, Essays, Audiobook

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1995

About the author

Charles Kuralt was an award-winning American journalist. He was most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and later as the first anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning, a position he held for fifteen years.

Kuralt's "On the Road" segments were recognized twice with personal Peabody Awards. The first, awarded in 1968, cited those segments as heartwarming and "nostalgic vignettes"; in 1975, the award was for his work as a U.S. "bicentennial historian"; his work "capture[d] the individuality of the people, the dynamic growth inherent in the area, and ...the rich heritage of this great nation." He shared in a third Peabody awarded to CBS News Sunday Morning.

Reviews

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, quick read. It was a trip through America, and a trip back in time. I enjoyed reading every little vignette. Gives you a different perspective on American life that was at one time and, amazingly, actually still is. I can still hear his voice, and that is the way to read this book, with Charles Kuralt narrating the words for you.

[Coralee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy Charles Kurault's work so much because he and I clearly share a similar interest: simple vignettes of life in America. Small towns have always had a special fascination to me, as does nature.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little essays on America that are almost short poems.

[Nranger7 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collection of easy to read stories that I thought I would leave at the Little Free Library at the school near my house. However, then I realized that those kids wouldn't know who Charles Kuralt was so they wouldn't know to hear his voice as they read. They wouldn't understand many of the old fashioned things he was talking about. Part of the problem is these are transcripts from tv so you're not seeing the images or hearing the people speak (or sing). Can't see or hear the animals. There's even one about silence. Not as dramatic when you're reading about it. The photos are in black and white as well which is a shame when the text is describing something like colorful butterflies.

[Sally Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newsman Charles Kuralt was once challenged to tell stories in ninety seconds. He told the tv station no....that a story needed more time. But his friend and partner encouraged him to try, so he did. This book is the compendium of those short stories, and each is stand-alone inspirational, fun, or educational. I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read, and I learned so much!

But I agree...the stories would've been better fleshed out a little more.

[Marty Acks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Loved Charle Kurault but these these stories were so short that they did not even qualify as vignettes.

[Sue Landes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice, quick read traveling back to a slower, friendlier place in time.

[Robi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories were too short.

[Steven Beningo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book and a quick easy read! Many things that seemed quaint in the 1990s, seem to be very quaint in the 2020s!

[Balloon Bruce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hardly worth reading, the stories are just too short.

[Jason Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Charles Kuralt has been dead for 18 years as of this writing. I remember enjoying him on CBS News Sunday Morning which I considered a respectable show even if it didn't give you the heaviest hitting news. In fact it was because it didn't give into sensationalism that I considered it respectable. This book has the same tone as portions of that show.

I always enjoyed Kuralt's style of speaking and it works just fine when written. I kept hearing Charles Osgood's voice as I read the book, but that's because I hadn't heard Kuralt's voice in such a long time. (Osgood took over for Kuralt on Sunday Morning and has a similar speaking style though he comes up a tad short by comparison in my opinion. Kuralt was a tough act to follow).

I used this as my bedtime book when I needed something quick to read for a couple of minutes because I wanted to read something but was too tired to get into my current real book. This suited that purpose perfectly.

The book is simply text of the 90 second segments of Kuralt's later show An American Moment which is reminiscent of his "On the Road" segments on the CBS Evening News when Walter Cronkite was anchoring it. (That was way before my time, but I've seen several clips). It was a refreshing read in this day and age where everyone seems to have a hard on to piss all over anything remotely American, especially in the media. It's comprised of 117 little one or two-page stories that make you go "Hey, that's neat," if you're into such things.

Here are a few examples:

There's Lucy the Elephant, a six story building shaped like an elephant which was originally a hotel.

The family that invented the barber pole and is the only maker of that item left in the country.

Mail order houses from Sears, Roebuck & Company that you put together yourself when the parts arrived.

The San Diego Highwayman, a man who drives around looking for stranded motorists and helping them.

The Livermore light bulb which has been burning since 1901 save for power outages and the couple of times it's been moved. (It has since been renamed the Centennial Light, but it was a couple years shy of burning for 100 years when Mr. Kuralt did his last segment on it).

I'll leave you with the part about skipping stones even though that's not uniquely American. I have trouble imagining people in foreign lands doing it much, but I'm sure they must. Elton John does it with Suzie in Crocodile Rock, after all, though he calls it skimming stones. I don't think I ever got more than five or six skips myself. Most of my skipping was done at a creek that offered no long stretch of straightaway, and five or six was as much as you could get before the stone hopped off into the woods. Normally I was good for only two to four at the best of times. The five/six thing was out of the ordinary. Skipping shells at the ocean is enjoyable too, but the waves make more than a few skips there impossible no matter how calm it is between crests. Shame I didn't have a pond or lake I visited regularly.

Skipping Stones

This is about as much fun as I remember ever having when I was a kid - skipping stones. I practiced and got good at it. Twelve or thirteen skips was pretty good. I remember searching the shore for a certain round, smooth stone that felt just about perfect - but wasn't, as it turned out. But there was always another stone, and another chance at a personal best.

YOUNG BOY: I got three skips.

Who can say why this is so satisfying? It just is. "To sink like a stone" is the expression. But, if you do it right, it doesn't sink. Not right away. It hops and leaps and sails and pit-a-pats across the water.

I was sure back then that the next stone would be better. And the one after that better still. Stone-skippers have to be eternal optimists.

You can think deep thoughts while you're skipping stones, if you like. Or you can just make the stones plink and fly.

An idle moment is an American Moment, too.

If you can appreciate that, then you would probably enjoy this book. If not, you'd best pass it by.

[Maurean · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I said, “Charles Kuralt’s American Moments” is a collection of his stories of America, given in what were to be ninety-second long broadcast’s; a brief but lasting impression of his views on the American spirit and the people who create it. From the Cape of Disappointment in Washington State, to the deer of the lower Keys of Florida; from Mr. Ralph Woodside, who repairs victrolas in his Georgetown, Mass. workshop, to Naomi Lewis, the postmaster in Ochopee, FL., the smallest post office in the country; From the gargoyles that guard the streets of Manhattan to the 10-year-old jazz musician “Trombone Shorty” of New Orleans; little bits of Americana that are sure to charm and delight you as only Mr. Kuralt could do.

[Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming tales of the American spirit through roads less traveled. Kuralt was a one of a kind American treasure that will never be replicated. No one else could describe the odd, unique, or just plain mundane quite like Kuralt. This reads like a good travel guide to see the America that AAA or any other guidebook will not point you to.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compilation of Charles Kuralt's ninety second TV anecdotes that he presented over the years. They are pure Americana telling about people, places and things that truly reflect the lifeblood of our nation. The book is a quick, light read.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vignettes about places, people, and things that struck Kuralt's fancy and represent what is good about America. This are such sketchy vignettes that they don't really add much to our knowledge of America life.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorites.

[Brandon Minster · Rating 1 out of 5]

Talk about slap-dash! This is basically just the transcipts of a handful of TV segments he did.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Kuralt relates tales of the American people as only a great storyteller can

[Cathyz · Rating 5 out of 5]

been a while since I've read this book, but I remember how much I enjoyed it. good stories about real people who make America what it is.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never viewed the authors tv travel shows....The places visited in the book were short but wetted the appetite enough to be romanticized enough to visit or read more about.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, I liked the brevity of the articles but enjoyed the scope of the work.

[Michael Skoien · Rating 5 out of 5]

American icon who finds the "real" America and its people and places..

[Todd Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Charles Kuralt, but this book was disappointing. It was basically the text for the 30 second segments they used to air. Impossible to get interested or learn anything from the stories.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

reread in honor of the 4th of July

[Gbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

just starting

[Judge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very quick read with some good short stories.