The Good Times [Paperback]

Russell Baker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 1992

Picking up where Growing Up left off, the noted columnist recounts his odyssey from writing police reports in Baltimore to penning news stories about the Queen of England, offering his wisdom on the grownup world. Reprint. NYT.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"With its lively stories about journalists, Washington politicians and topical scandals, the book will delight Baker's devotees--and significantly expand their already vast number," asserted PW . Photos. 200,000 first printing.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This is a sequel to Baker's Pulitzer Prize-winning Growing Up ( LJ 10/1/82). Here, he wryly recounts the mischances and lucky breaks that have guided his journalism career. Aspiring writers will chuckle over Baker's first, horrible day on police beat, his panicked interview with Evelyn Waugh, and his arrival at Queen Elizabeth's coronation in top hat, tails, and brown-bag lunch. Baker comes to realize his forte is thoughtful and satiric observations rather than scoops, and in this book and in his "Observer" columns for the New York Times , he proves he is right. The vibrant personalities of Baker's wife and mother, featured prominently in Growing Up, get short shrift here, although Baker notes that his mother's constant refrain of "If there's one thing I can't stand, Russell, it's a quitter," has been the propelling force of his life. This should be popular with general readers and especially those interested in journalism.
- Judy Quinn, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Signet (June 2, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451172302
• ISBN-13: 978-0451172303
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,276,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great story showing the struggles of a young reporter, September 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Good Times: A Memoir (Audio Cassette)

I was forced to read this book for one of my journalism classes and I had the 'typical' student attitude: 'I will skim through this book and guess my way through the paper'. I decided to read the first and last chapters of the book to get a basic understanding and then skim the rest. I started the book and realized that I could not put it down. This language in this book was very natural and the stories that were told were interesting. Being a journalism student, I was fasinated seeing all of the hardships that Baker went through to become the famed reporter that he is today. For once an assigned book that was actually interesting and worth reading.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The sequel to "Growing Up" doesn't disappoint, February 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Good Times (Hardcover)

While I was "forced" to read "Growing Up"--part one of Russell Baker's autobiography--by my high school English teacher, I anxiously sought out this sequel. Baker's descriptions of the everyday life of a reporter makes for an intriguing book. While he has a tendency to romanticize situations, Baker provides enough details to give a clear picture of the type of challenges that reporters constantly face, especially early on in their careers. Baker's writing style is clean and straightforward without being simple. (I would zip through 20-30 pages at one sitting without even realizing it.) This is one of the few books I've read more than once and boy, do I wish he'd write another "chapter" of his autobiography. If you like the so called "adventures" of a reporter, an effortless history lesson, and lots of behind-the-scenes stuff, buy this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!, April 22, 1998

By 

James R. Jackson - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Good Times (Paperback)

A gently but lively autobiographical memoire. For me, reading this book was a rare case of pure enjoyment, and one which I expect to repeat about once a year until ... .