A Life on the Road [Mass Market Paperback]

Charles Kuralt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 1991

"A professional memoir of a gifted, good-humored and gracious man...The book has the feel of good conversation on a long trip."
THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
John Charles Kuralt on the journey of his life. From a southern boy bitten by wanderlust and wonder, to a curious rover writing for newspapers, radio, and TV, to a CBS News correspondent adventuring around the world--from Cuba and Vietnam to the Congo and the North Pole, to his twenty-plus years roaming the back roads of America. In this engaging memoir, Kuralt relives a lifetime of discovering places and people whose unique stories enriched him, shaped him, and fueled his all-consuming passion: to find out what wonderful thing waits just around the next bend.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kuralt recalls memorable experiences of his journalism career: we see a family awaiting a soldier's return from Vietnam, the cooperation of blacks and whites building a park in Reno, Nev., the dull sterility of Castro's Cuba. "Comic and poignant by turns," said PW . "Fans of Kuralt's work on the CBS series Sunday Morning will find this autobiography a charmer." Photos. Author tour.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Kuralt describes this engaging autobiography as an incomplete remembrance of roads taken, breakdowns, misdirections, potholes, and detours. A love of travel, developed through trips along North Carolina country roads with his father, brought Kuralt to accept a job with CBS News in 1954. He began as a correspondent in the Congo, Cuba, and California, then was reassigned to presenting documentaries, including a North Pole attempt. He finally found his slot as a feature story reporter covering the "pulse of the country" by roaming the nation in his recreational vehicle. An entertaining book that is recommended for general readers who enjoyed Kuralt's best-selling collection of his news stories, On the Road ( LJ 9/15/85). Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/1/90.
- Fern Sikkema, Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis, Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Ivy Books (September 23, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804108692
• ISBN-13: 978-0804108690
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,843,249 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heart-warming look at 20 years "on the road", February 17, 2000

By 

John Grabowski (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Life on the Road (Mass Market Paperback)

The genius of Charles Kuralt--and what makes this book great--is his ability to find insights from the smallest of things, which the rest of us would pass over on the way to more "important" matters. In some ways his life was extraordinary. But in other ways he led a rather conventional life, going from one greased pig competition to the next hoe-down on his rickety bus. He never walked on the moon, or cured a disease, or broke a batting record, or played at Carnegie Hall. But his insights into the simple experiences in life, from a field of wildflowers to the beauty of an autumn day, make A Life On The Road a book to cherish, and return to again and again. I can't recommend this book enough. America lost a true artist when Mr. Kuralt died. He probably never would have been so presumptuous to claim the title for himself, but that's what he was.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoy taking the road with Charles Kuralt, June 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Life on the Road (Mass Market Paperback)

If you ever liked Charles Kuralt's "On The Road" segments, you'll love this book. It's at times humorous, at times serious but always interesting and written with a measure of charm, wit and humility. I've gone back and re-read many chapters several times just for the joy of it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful summer read, April 18, 2002

By 

windriver12 (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Life on the Road (Mass Market Paperback)

Kuralt has a wonderful sense of humor. His wit shines through in every page of this book as he tells stories of Americana and his experiences while covering the news in Cuba, South America, Russia... His simple and descriptive style of writing flows by fast and I could vividly imagine his experiences. What were these experiences? Pick up the book. Suffice to say it spans from the story of a simple brick layer he met in rural america to a proud, grumpy soviet ex-pow who had been waiting 40 years to send a message to an old friend in America.

I put this book down with a great faith in humanity and a deep admiration for Charles Kuralt. He leaves you feeling that this world is filled with thousands and thousands of remarkable stories that are waiting to be discovered and that life is full of opportunities around every corner.