The Camera Never Blinks Twice: The Further Adventures of a Television Journalist

The Camera Never Blinks #2

by Dan Rather, Mickey Herskowitz

Reporting every night to more than 13 million people on the CBS Evening News, Dan Rather has been called "outrageous, outspoken, but never outclassed." In The Camera Never Blinks Twice he tells exhilarating and thought-provoking tales that provide ample evidence of why he's earned the reputation of premier newsman of his generation. In this book, Rather recounts his thrilling trek through Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion in 1980. He provides the full story behind his "confrontation" with Vice President George Bush over the Iran-contra scandal. And from Tiananmen Square to Red Square, from devastating floods in the Midwest to hurricanes in the Atlantic, he takes you with him as he scours the world for breaking stories and shows how and why what we see on our television screens winds up there.

Here is his inside account of his interview with Saddam Hussein, the first by any American after the invasion of Kuwait. Here are his candid reflections on returning to Vietnam with General H. Norman Schwarzkopf - the first time back for both men. Here is a chance encounter with Mikhail Gorbachev inside the Kremlin. And here are his observations on the aftermath of the Cold War, the fall of the Wall in Berlin, and the present strife in the former Yugoslavia. Rather laces the narrative with short pieces on subjects ranging from encounters with two very different late-night dictators - Fidel Castro and David Letterman - to the real story behind the so-called "six-minute blackout" in Miami, the night CBS put the pope on hold to finish a tennis match.

In "The Camera Never Blinks Twice", Rather pays homage to some of the all-time greats of broadcasting - including Murrow and Sevareid - and to all the courageous journalists who risk their lives to bring home the news. And he doesn't pull any punches in his assessment of world leaders, government officials, the press - or himself.

Genres: Journalism, History, Biography

Paperback

First published October 1, 1994

About the author

With a famed and storied career that has spanned more than six decades, Dan Rather has earned his place as one of the world’s best-known journalists. He has interviewed every president since Eisenhower and, over that time, personally covered almost every important dateline in the United States and around the world. Rather joined CBS News in 1962. He quickly rose through the ranks, and in 1981 he assumed the position of Anchor and Managing Editor of the CBS Evening News—a post he held for twenty-four years. His reporting across the network helped turn 60 Minutes into an institution, launched 48 Hours as an innovative news magazine program, and shaped countless specials and documentaries. Upon leaving CBS, Rather returned to the in-depth reporting he always loved, creating the Emmy Award winning Dan Rather Reports on HDNet. Now, building upon that foundation, he is president and CEO of News and Guts, an independent production company he founded that specializes in high-quality nonfiction content across a range of traditional and digital distribution channels.