Customer Reviews

Everyone Is Entitled to My Opinion

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Legendary TV journalist David Brinkley revived dormant Sunday morning political interview shows with "This Week," mixing news, interviews, bicker and banter between Brinkley and panelists Cokie Roberts, Sam Donaldson and George Will. Brinkley nearly always closed the show with an anecdote or thought-provoking, curmugeonly comments that, delivered with trademark diction, trumped any cute animal story local news closed with.

"Everyone Is Entitled To My Opinion," collects these short closers, reminding you that Brinkley's oratory gave fresh, common sense drama to what reads now as classier shaggy-dog stories or whining. The book has highlights, mainly Brinkley addressing his favorite topic of government bureaucracy (cited in everything from $2500 Air Force pliers to his dime tax bill). He praises junk mail ("You never get bad news by third-class") and global warming. He forgives President Bush for getting ill in Tokyo after a whirlwind Pacific Rim tour and nominates Richard Nixon for "official US scapegoat." He also offers touching eulogies for the Philadelphia Bulletin, Sam Ervin, and Benny Goodman.

The book recalls the Reagan-Bush years with their heroes (the presidents themselves, Margaret Thatcher) villains (John Sununu, Tip O'Neill) and fools (James Watt, Leona Helmsley, Jim Bakker, Imelda Marcos). This book is best enjoyed in its audio format; otherwise, check out Brinkley's autobiography or 1989's excellent "Washington Goes To War" for the best writing from this American news icon.

If you're looking for a quick, enjoyable read, with a few chuckles on the way, get this book. If you think the U.S. government has a unique outlook on life, this book proves it. "Everyone Is Entitled To My Opinion" is a small book with witty commentaries from "This Week" television show. The government is not the only oddity in the book. Life itself is seen as the intriguing, mysterious, comedic adventure it is. What I really liked about the book is you can read it in quick bites (on breaks at work) or for a longer visit (after dinner). David Brinkley's insight into the human condition is always enjoyable. And the fact his opinion often (but not always) is mine as well doesn't hurt. This is not GREAT LITERATURE (I was shouting there) but a very good book

There isn't really much to say about this book. It is charming, amusing and intelligent. Reading this book makes for an interesting trip down memory lane and reaffirms the old adage that "the more things change, the more they remain the same."

The format is very simple and leads itself to a single read-through or picking a page at random. Several dozen of David Brinkley's closing statements on "This Week with David Brinkley" have been collected and presented here as short essays of no more than three pages each. If nothing else it is a pleasure to once again make fun of former Secretary of the Interior James Watt.

A little book comprised of Brinkley's closing comments (selected) from THIS WEEK WITH... over about fourteen years. "Broadcast," as he states in the introduction, "in the hope of leaving our television audiences in a slightly better frame of mind than if we had left them with depressing thoughts of war, murder and drugs." Most of these very short essays illuminate the fringes of Washington: deals and misdeeds, quirks in tax law, loony senators and presidential hijinks. A voice so familiar comes through in the writing, and Brinkley's odd inflection, dramatic pauses and ironic skepticism echo in memory as one reads. This is not the grand summation presented by Howard K. Smith in EVENTS LEADING UP TO MY DEATH (St. Martin's Press, 1996 ), but it is an ascerbic and witty insider's view from another of the fading handful of stars of the golden age of TV news.

I asked for and was given this book as a gift...having met Mr. Brinkley in the '60's...I was already impressed with him...I loved "Everyone's Entitled to my Opinion"....I have great respect and admiration for him....this book starts with his beginnings in North Carolina...his relationship with his mother....and on through his successful career as a broadcaster....one of the best autobiographies I have read...