This Just In: What I Couldn't Tell You on TV [Paperback]

Bob Schieffer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2004

Bob Schieffer started his reporting career in Texas when he was barely old enough to buy a beer, joined CBS News in 1969, and became one of the few correspondents ever to have covered all four major Washington beats: the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department, and Capitol Hill. Over the past four decades, he's seen it all-and now he's sharing the after-hours tales only his colleagues know.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It might not have occurred to anyone to clamor for longtime CBS reporter Schieffer's memoir, but now that it's in print, it makes for a highly engaging read. He's seen it all and has much wisdom about journalism and governance to impart. The book spans virtually every important domestic story of the past 40-odd years; among his captivating subjects are the 1962 integration of the University of Alabama, JFK's assassination, Vietnam, Nixon-era peace protests and Watergate. The book's emphasis changes subtly from events to personalities when Schieffer takes over Face the Nation. As the subtitle suggests, Schieffer wisely forgoes rehashing familiar tales like Watergate or the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal in favor of revealing the background action that went unreported at the time. He structures the book as a collection of anecdotes, and, unsurprisingly for such a seasoned pro, Schieffer has a sharp eye for intriguing details and an instinct for maintaining the proper focus on his subjects rather than on himself. When he does get personal, he admirably questions his occasional missteps in balancing family and career. The telling is so unfussy, modest and straightforward that it rarely prompts speculation about the juicy bits that he couldn't write in a book. Indeed, the work succeeds not only as a primer on broadcast journalism but also as an informal history of America over the past 40 years. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Schieffer, veteran television journalist and moderator of Face the Nation, offers insights and a riveting behind-the-scene look at the news events--and the television news business itself--over the 40-plus years of his career. Schieffer recalls the moments that defined his career and shaped the nation, from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Schieffer also recalls his career trajectory from a newspaper reporter in Fort Worth, Texas, to a failed bid to replace Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS Evening News, to his tenure on the respected Sunday-morning news show. He shares off-camera moments with some of the most powerful politicians and journalists in the nation, including his long friendship with fellow Texan Dan Rathers. In his career, Schieffer has covered wars, seen presidents come and go, witnessed the ups and downs of White House relations with the press, observed the rise and fall of the powerful and the petty, and covered Washington from the White House, Pentagon, State Department, and Capitol Hill. This engaging memoir offers readers a closer perspective on both newsmakers and news reporters over the past four decades. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (January 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425194337
• ISBN-13: 978-0425194331
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #974,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( J ) > Johnson, Lyndon

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Personal Historical Memoir, June 12, 2003

By 

Louis N. Gruber "Author of Jay" (Lexington, SC United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: This Just In: What I Couldn't Tell You on TV (Hardcover)

I would not have thought to pick up this book, except that, by serendipity, I heard parts of it on Radio Reader as I was driving to work for several mornings, and by further serendipity, I heard the author talking about my late aunt, whom I never knew very well, and who, as it turns out, was a noted eccentric among the White House press corps.

So, I bought the book. And I'm very glad I did. The story begins with Bob Schieffer's baby steps in journalism, his experiences during the the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the civil rights struggles of the 60s, his changing perceptions of the war in Viet Nam, his personal experience of growth and change in the news business and in American governance, then Watergate, and finally, the events of September 11.

Although I learned nothing dramatically new (except the story of my eccentric aunt), I did enjoy seeing familiar events through the eyes of one very astute and well-informed observer. Author Bob Schieffer writes in an easy, flowing style, as though he is talking to the reader personally. He conveys a great sense of warmth and compassion as he talks about figures who are, to most of us, the great and near great. He does not hesitate to poke fun at himself or to share his foibles and failures. He comes across as a really nice person who just happens to have first-hand experience of the great events of the last forty years. The book moves along quickly, reads easily, and leaves you wanting more.

I feel very fortunate that I was able to read this book, and I highly recommend it to others. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Memoir, February 21, 2003

By 

Richard A. Mitchell "Rick Mitchell" (candia, new hampshire United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: This Just In: What I Couldn't Tell You on TV (Hardcover)

This is a terrific memoir of Mr. Schieffer's professional life. The book is, as one would expect, extremely well-written. The author's self-effacing and engaging style that works so well on TV works equally well as he tells his stories.
The book is a newsman's view of the news he reported.

Most impressively, Mr. Schieffer walks that thin line of relating recent history to give enough background without insulting the reader's intelligence by treating him as if he has been living in a shell for the last 35 years or so.

This is a typical memoir in that it relates Mr. Schieffer's professional career. The subtitle - "What I Couldn't Tell you on TV" is unfortunate, however, because there are not really any secrets in the book. This is a memoir and not a "tell-all". I do not think this author would be amenable to tablois style tell-all yarns. That does not detract from the book, only makes the title a bit misleading.

Mr. Schieffer has reported and/or been close to most of the major stories in America for the last few decades. This is an enjoyable look at those stories through his eyes which had a close-up view. The writing is as good as the view he gives the reader.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glad I read this biography, May 4, 2003

By 

Michael Santos (FCI Fort Dix, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Just In: What I Couldn't Tell You on TV (Hardcover)

Bob Schieffer was not a name that I knew, so I would not have chosen this biography had a friend of mine not recommended it to me. I always learn something from biographies, and THIS JUST IN did not disappoint.

I dont watch much television inside these prison fences. My schedule is too busy with writing, reading, correspondence, and exercise. I am familiar with Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, Tom Brokaw, and Dan Rather as newscasters, but I had not heard of Bob Schieffer before reading this book that chronicles his life. He does a fine job describing it.

I admire individuals who set clearly defined goals in their lives, then set in place a strategy to help them achieve those goals. Through Schieffers biography, readers learn that he was a diligent student and a determined worker as a young man. As a teenager Schieffer worked as a newspaper reporter, and after college became an officer in the Air Force. Immediately upon completing his military duty, Schieffer returned to his job as a local newspaperman. Not long after his return, he courageously persuaded his supervisor at the Fort Worth Star Telegram to send him to Vietnam in order to report on the Texan troops, thereby launching himself on his way to journalistic stardom.

Soon after Schieffers return from Vietnam he graduated to the world of electronic media as a local television reporter. From his post as an anchor for WBAP-TV (now KXAS) Schieffer doggedly pursued the major networks with hopes of leaving behind the daily coverage of murder, arson, and other bloody crime that local news organizations are committed to broadcasting. Schieffer wanted to cover national news.

His determination paid off, as Schieffer succeeded in landing a coveted job at CBS, and over a career that spans several decades, Schieffer has been responsible for reporting on four of the most prestigious posts in Washington: the State Department, The Pentagon, The White House, and The Congress. Schieffer also has anchored several of his own news shows and frequently substitutes for Dan Rather anchoring the CBS Evening News.

Although I was not familiar with Schieffer prior to reading his biography, it has become clear to me that he is an important journalist. Through his biography I learned more about many events in our nations history, including the controversy over Vietnam, Nixon, diplomacy, and several presidential administrations. The most compelling part of the book, for me, was his description of his and his colleagues experiences during the tragedy of September 11.

Besides being a journalist for one of the major networks, Schieffer also comes across as a genuinely nice person; a man committed to his wife, two daughters, and colleagues. I enjoyed reading about his life and the choices he made to reach his goals.