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bargainsleuth's review against another edition
5.0
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Carl Bernstein is a living journalism legend. As part of the Woodward and Bernstein duo that doggedly wrote about the Watergate break-ins in 1972, it led to President Nixon’s resignation. That sort of investigative journalism was unheard of at the time and for good or bad, changed the way the press dealt with public figures. But what wasn’t known to some was that Bernstein got his start in the newsroom as a teenager. Chasing history chronicles his time at the Washington Evening Star in the early 1960’s, an eventful time in American history.
I have to say, I’m always amazed when memoirs or history books are hyper-focused on a short period of time because I figure there have to be journals to follow someone’s life so closely. Bernstein had a newspaper archive to jog his memories, and he may have had a journal, he never explicitly says one way or another.
Chasing History is a fascinating look at Washington, D.C. leading up to and during the Kennedy administration and beyond. Bernstein was there at one of JFK’s campaign stops, the inaugural parade, and more. He did this at the age of 16, working at the paper after school and on the weekends. School became an afterthought as the author started writing his own news stories. There was a question whether he would even graduate high school.
I can relate. When I was in college, I got a job at a local television station. Over the next few years, I got promoted several times and was actually doing the job that I was trying to get a degree for, so I ultimately chose work over school, much to my regret. (I would eventually return to school and get two degrees to make up for dropping out the first time.)
Chasing History looks back at a time when a lot was happening in the U.S. The dynamic young president and his beautiful, talented wife, the growth of the civil rights movement including the March on Washington, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy’s death and the early days of Lyndon Johnson’s presidency. Bernstein was a local kid so he knew the city well and it helped him in his reporting. That’s one of the things I lament when I watch or read the local news. The best reporters turn out to be the ones that grew up here or close by because they already have an advantage when they start out: they know the people and the area well.
This time capsule of a book is a great way to get a feel of what the nation’s capitol was like during a bygone era. It also is a primer on how news stories were gathered once upon a time, and how journalism used to be practiced. It was a real treat listening to all the stories Bernstein had to share.
Carl Bernstein is a living journalism legend. As part of the Woodward and Bernstein duo that doggedly wrote about the Watergate break-ins in 1972, it led to President Nixon’s resignation. That sort of investigative journalism was unheard of at the time and for good or bad, changed the way the press dealt with public figures. But what wasn’t known to some was that Bernstein got his start in the newsroom as a teenager. Chasing history chronicles his time at the Washington Evening Star in the early 1960’s, an eventful time in American history.
I have to say, I’m always amazed when memoirs or history books are hyper-focused on a short period of time because I figure there have to be journals to follow someone’s life so closely. Bernstein had a newspaper archive to jog his memories, and he may have had a journal, he never explicitly says one way or another.
Chasing History is a fascinating look at Washington, D.C. leading up to and during the Kennedy administration and beyond. Bernstein was there at one of JFK’s campaign stops, the inaugural parade, and more. He did this at the age of 16, working at the paper after school and on the weekends. School became an afterthought as the author started writing his own news stories. There was a question whether he would even graduate high school.
I can relate. When I was in college, I got a job at a local television station. Over the next few years, I got promoted several times and was actually doing the job that I was trying to get a degree for, so I ultimately chose work over school, much to my regret. (I would eventually return to school and get two degrees to make up for dropping out the first time.)
Chasing History looks back at a time when a lot was happening in the U.S. The dynamic young president and his beautiful, talented wife, the growth of the civil rights movement including the March on Washington, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy’s death and the early days of Lyndon Johnson’s presidency. Bernstein was a local kid so he knew the city well and it helped him in his reporting. That’s one of the things I lament when I watch or read the local news. The best reporters turn out to be the ones that grew up here or close by because they already have an advantage when they start out: they know the people and the area well.
This time capsule of a book is a great way to get a feel of what the nation’s capitol was like during a bygone era. It also is a primer on how news stories were gathered once upon a time, and how journalism used to be practiced. It was a real treat listening to all the stories Bernstein had to share.
julianship's review against another edition
Delightful. Hilariously this book opens with intense music like we're on CNN, and then jumps right into Carl Bernstein describing how he was kind of a shitty teen. Great descriptions of the nuts and bolts of journalism in the 60s and 70s, entertainingly told.
rozlev's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful memoir about Bernstein's start in the print news business at the Washington Star. Beautifully written and engaging.
blairconrad's review against another edition
3.0
Some of the info was interesting, but mostly it was a laundry list of people that Bernstein knew when young (and that I'd never heard of and didn't care). Every once in a while we'd be told "so and so was now my best friend", which is great for him, but I wasn't shown any of it.
And I'd hoped for some Watergate stuff. It ain't there.
Fun fact: I found it hard to keep track of how much time passed between chapters, and once I opened my e-reader at a chapter 200 pages further along than the previous one I'd read, and I didn't notice until I checked the page count
And I'd hoped for some Watergate stuff. It ain't there.
Fun fact: I found it hard to keep track of how much time passed between chapters, and once I opened my e-reader at a chapter 200 pages further along than the previous one I'd read, and I didn't notice until I checked the page count
branch_c's review against another edition
3.0
Recommended to me by my journalist mother, and I can see why it would be of interest to those in that profession. The newspaper coverage of significant historical events in the early to mid-60s is competently described here by a journalist who learned the trade as a young man during those years, and who went on to be a well-respected and accomplished reporter.
For me, though, the story was a bit all over the place. We get Bernstein’s reaction to the events he’s observing, and his brief interactions with some of the historical figures of the time, as well as his thoughts about the newspaper business and its cast of colorful characters. We also get a running account of his failure to finish college, and his experiences living, working, drinking, and socializing with his colleagues.
It’s maybe a bit much to try to capture, though the mild chaos of that stage of his life may have been exactly what he was trying to convey. The writing is solid and undramatic, very much in contrast to the events described - as you’d expect from a seasoned reporter I suppose. There seems to be a conscious attempt to draw a single thread through the narrative: the issue of civil rights and race relations. This struck me as ever so slightly artificial. While it was undoubtedly a critical time for this subject, the emphasis to it being added in this writing comes across as a bit of a departure from the earnestness of the rest of Bernstein’s memories.
So, not exactly my thing, but not badly done for what it was.
A minor note: Bernstein mentions “F-18” military jets a couple of times (p. 286, 297), but I don’t think there was a jet by that name in 1963.
For me, though, the story was a bit all over the place. We get Bernstein’s reaction to the events he’s observing, and his brief interactions with some of the historical figures of the time, as well as his thoughts about the newspaper business and its cast of colorful characters. We also get a running account of his failure to finish college, and his experiences living, working, drinking, and socializing with his colleagues.
It’s maybe a bit much to try to capture, though the mild chaos of that stage of his life may have been exactly what he was trying to convey. The writing is solid and undramatic, very much in contrast to the events described - as you’d expect from a seasoned reporter I suppose. There seems to be a conscious attempt to draw a single thread through the narrative: the issue of civil rights and race relations. This struck me as ever so slightly artificial. While it was undoubtedly a critical time for this subject, the emphasis to it being added in this writing comes across as a bit of a departure from the earnestness of the rest of Bernstein’s memories.
So, not exactly my thing, but not badly done for what it was.
A minor note: Bernstein mentions “F-18” military jets a couple of times (p. 286, 297), but I don’t think there was a jet by that name in 1963.
tjstover's review against another edition
informative
2.5
too many characters, too little introspection
mikebarbre's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
tueller42's review against another edition
4.0
An engaging perspective on history, you could feel like you were living in his shoes
mhworth's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. I’m not always a fan of memoirs (although I think I prefer professional memoirs to other sorts), and I just read the book about Watergate that didn’t thrill me— but this book was a joy. Bernstein tells the stories of being in a 1960s newsroom as a teenager in a way that made me feel like I was there- like I knew the people and cared about them. I hope they make this into a movie because I would watch it.