Customer Reviews

The Place to Be: Washington, CBS, and the Glory Days of Television News

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You need to move it up your priority list to MUST READ status.
You'll understand the world of News and Media and appreciate
what reporters and anchors of "Integrity" have to face to be "great"
and to stay on the air!!!! I Never could figure out why he (Roger) didn't replace Cronkite; now I know! The "Black Rock" turned varing shades of "bean-pusher grey" after Mr. Paley died. Mr. & Mrs. Moonves' CBS pales by comparison to Mr. Paley's BLACK ROCK!

I had the honor of meeting and befriending Roger Mudd in the early 1990s. Even today, I still recall the clarity of his dialogue, the warmness of his character and the sharpness of his observations about the world -- and the profound changes it was undergoing, then as now. Roger Mudd has the unique and rare ability to tell us the news--the story--as it is, and not as we would expect or want it to be. He is a exquisite observer of the human condition--a consummate story teller--and an advocate for that rarest of qualities these days - truth and integrity in reporting. Its a must read for every concerned world citizen, tired of propaganda and desperate for someone with the unique ability to educate and inform us - without prejudice or bias. Simply, an important and fabulous book by a talented and humane author.

Roger Mudd's fine book evokes a different and more comforting era. Like his friend Jim Lehrer who still delivers new this way, he writes in an even and measured cadence. His topical span is great and in some areas, such as the Kennedy family, the depth will also delight those devoted to the subject - not to say, however, that they will like everything they read about the political trio. If you've heard or seen Mudd's recent radio and television interviews the book delivers just what you'd expect. While the events he covers should be at least vaguely familiar to most adults, many of the political and journalistic characters (Long, Friendly, Sevareid, etc.) may be lost on those born after the Baby Boom years. Largely but not entirely free of angst, it is an altogether quick and pleasant retrospective read.

I purchased this book after having seen a live interview with Roger Mudd. Roger Mudd was a part of my growing up and I have always had a great deal of respect for him. Roger is a great human being and tells his story with a great deal of clarity and humor. It was wonderful to hear about the experiences he had during his career with Dan Rather, Walter Cronkite, Martin Kalb,Robert Kennedy, etc. - it brought back such wonderful memories. Roger has had a very meaningful life and remains one of my favorites. The book is definitely worth reading and the pages turn very easily.

This book takes me back to the time when watching the evening news was a big deal. It was something you did before dinner every night. Roger Mudd was always one of my favorites, with his seemingly casual and calm manner. Hearing about the news business from his perspective was interesting and revealing. Reading his book was a pleasure and I recommend it.

From the late 1950s to 1980 I, like countless Americans, was a devoted fan of CBS News. Anchored by Walter Cronkite, CBS News boasted a galaxy of gifted correspondents who covered those exciting, horrifying, puzzling years with unrivaled professionalism. To my mind, Roger Mudd was first among equals as regards a CBS team that included Dan Rather, Marvin and Bernard Kalb, Daniel Schoor, Eric Sevareid, George Herman, Bob Peirpoint, Bob Schieffer and so many other talented individuals. THE PLACE TO BE is Mudd's informative, witty and entertaining memoir of those glory years.

As with 'Uncle Walter,' Roger Mudd always impressed me as an insightful, unflappable and discerning newsman. Beyond that he seemed to possess a touch of irreverence that sometimes revealed itself in a 'Do you believe this?' twinkle in his eye when he was reporting on the latest Congressional boondoggle. Those same qualities are in evidence throughout Mudd's book, most of which is devoted to the period from May 1961, when he became a CBS correspondent, to February 1980, when he walked because of the boneheaded decision to give Dan Rather the anchor position.

Reading through THE PLACE TO BE is akin to revisiting all the important - and a few not-so-important - news events and personalities that shaped the American experience. We are immersed once again in the Civil rights struggle, the years of JFK, the Cuban Missile Crisis, LBJ and the Great Society, Vietnam, various political conventions, Congressional doings, etc.; the difference being an incisive, knowledgeable guide who helped cover and explain those momentous events to us then...and now.

Obviously part of the delight in Mudd's book is the insider's view of the CBS newsroom and finding out what happened when and who did what. Given how poorly Mudd was handled as regarded Cronkite's succession, I think he did an evenhanded job in relating life at CBS News and in discussing the many people he's worked with over the years.

THE PLACE TO BE is an easy read, funny and affectionate and sometimes surprising. All those men and women were a part of our lives - friends almost - and it's fascinating to see them in action and also find out what was happening behind the camera as well. And it is sad in reading through the 'Where Are They Now?' section to discover so many are gone.

I'd give THE PLACE TO BE six stars if possible. It's a first-class memoir of some exciting times and talented people by one of the best correspondents to work for CBS. I can't remember when I've enjoyed a book as much!

Roger Mudd certainly was in the right places at the right times. His accounts of the civil rights act filabuster and Watergate are intrguing. His strained relationship with Dan Rather might have used some more development in the book.

Back when television news was about news and not entertainment, Roger Mudd was one of the very best correspondents, and this is one of the very best books about television when it took its responsibility seriously.

This is a story that needed telling. Having spent thirty years as a television journalist and knowing Roger and his work personally, I heartily recommend this book written by a true professional. It exposes the arrogance and personal bias of a number of big names who became legends in their own minds.

Roger Mudd writes that he came across as `glowering and grim' on TV. Having lived in Ireland during the so-called "glory days of television news," I can't comment on that, but this book does lack personality which is its biggest weakness. Mudd worked in a massively interesting news era, ranging from Vietnam, the assassinations of JFK, Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy and Watergate, but he fails to bring any of them alive or present any interesting insights into them.

Mudd's comments about some of his co-workers are often less than complimentary especially Dan Rather who beat the author out to replace Walter Cronkite. I read the book because I wanted a better understanding of the US during these turbulent years. Not sure if I got that, but if you were a fan of Mudd, CBS or Cronkite during the 60's and 70's, this is a book you might enjoy as it is more about CBS and inside politics than anything else. In fairness, this is what the title suggests.