Assignment America: A Collection of Outstanding Writing from the New York Times

by Gene Roberts

Book by Roberts, Gene

274 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 1974

Reviews

[Burt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrift store had a beaten-up copy of Assignment America for 50 cents. So, I took a chance on it. Assignment America is a series of New York Times stories published in the late-1960s and early-1970s. The stories tend to focus on the “human” side of the U.S. rather than on the big headlines of the day. It reminds me of a print version of Charles Kuralt’s reports for CBS news.

This is an easy read. You can pick up Assignment America and start with any story that interests you - you don’t have to read in any particular order. Some of the events - Vietnam, for instance - have long since slipped from the headlines, but many remain relevant today.

If you can find a copy, I recommend Assignment America.