Rating: 
Summary: Nothing short of insightful and entertaining
Review: I first heard the name Ben Bradlee while watching "All the President's Men" in 11th grade history class. I'm a big fan of Watergate and all its intricacies, so I bought the book. It really surprised me. Being an autobiography, I wasn't expecting much, but this is truly a good book. Bradlee shares with us his life in full...his ups and downs...loves and lost loves. He also gives a more personal account of JFK. His devotion to and love for journalism is something that should be applauded...and copied. This book shows that there are some people out there who still believe in publishing good, honest news. If you want to read a good book about a great newpaperman, this is the one to read.
Rating: 
Summary: entertaining
Review: I only wish I will have a life half as exciting as Bradlee's has been. Bradlee takes the listener on a crazy ride through the Pentagon Papers, Watergate, his friendship with JFK, and Bradlee's own romantic adventures. Bradlee deals with the delicate issues of his life (his divorces, extramarital affairs, and the Janet Cooke debacle) with total honesty. He openly confronts the difficult times in his life. But what this book is about is how much Bradlee was able to squeeze out of life. A Good Life is a joyous biography which anybody will enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A bold, exciting life
Review: I only wish I will have a life half as exciting as Bradlee's has been. Bradlee takes the listener on a crazy ride through the Pentagon Papers, Watergate, his friendship with JFK, and Bradlee's own romantic adventures. Bradlee deals with the delicate issues of his life (his divorces, extramarital affairs, and the Janet Cooke debacle) with total honesty. He openly confronts the difficult times in his life. But what this book is about is how much Bradlee was able to squeeze out of life. A Good Life is a joyous biography which anybody will enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Ben is a good editor!
Review: I read this Ben Bradlee's memoir after I had read his boss Katherine Graham's 642-page grossly wordy "A Personal History." It didn't take me long to realize that "A Good Life" is a work of a good editor. His writing is concise and well focused without trying to get into excessive details, often only to bore readers, as both his boss and Maggie Thatcher successfully did with their auto-biographies. He's also so honest and candite about his personal life, including that of between the sheets.
When you are approaching 80, what's he got to lose, I guess.
For a non-native English speaking reader like me, it is also easy to read with plain and casual vocabulary and expressions. It almost reads as if the whole book was dictated. If you read All The President's Men, Final Days and A Personal History and enjoyed them, A Good Life is a must read to complete your Watergate experience.
Rating:
Summary: "entitlement" problematic, but still well done
Review: the booklist review says it best--there is an undercurrent of class entitlement that runs through this memoir, but the book is so good as a whole that bradlee can easily be forgiven...overall, he's a sort of political superhero:"was buddies with jfk!" "knows the identity of deep throat!" "mocks art buchwald in print--and gets away with it!" there's no doubt this is one helluva talented guy, but he was born with silver spoon firmly insterted in oral cavity, even if it wasn't polished to a shine. near the end of the book, he talks about buying a 2.5 million dollar mansion in georgetown with an "aw, shucks" attittude (only able to do it because of post stock rising rapidly) that's downright annoying for miserable journalistic peons like me to have to read. but for the most part, i liked it a lot. i'm too young to remember most of the events, and this was a great alternative history that i really appreciated. the other great thing about this memoir is the mention of other people's books in it that sound like good reads, so i'm using it as a bibliography, too. finally, sally quinn (wife #3) is a babe. superheros (even media ones) always get the girl. rock on, benji.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Man, Fascinating Life
Review: The first thing that makes A GOOD LIFE a wonderful read is that it has been written by a wonderful writer. Luxuriating in his text, it is easy to understand how author Ben Bradlee achieved the professional successes that he had. He is most famous, of course, for having edited the WASHINGTON POST during the Watergate era. The exploits of his reporters Bernstein and Woodward have been well-chronicled in ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN. The next thing that makes A GOOD LIFE a wonderful read is that Bradlee not only has led the good life--his own definition--he's also led a fascinating one. By some quirk of fate, he was witness to many of the more exciting events in the second half of the 20th century, and he reports on these events in a way that will rivet his fans. His description of his World War II naval career is as good as any other war memoir that I have read, and I have read quite a few. Bradlee was lucky to lead his "good life." And reading about it makes for a fascinating experience.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Man, Fascinating Life
Review: The first thing that makes A GOOD LIFE a wonderful read is that it has been written by a wonderful writer. Luxuriating in his text, it is easy to understand how author Ben Bradlee achieved the professional successes that he had. He is most famous, of course, for having edited the WASHINGTON POST during the Watergate era. The exploits of his reporters Bernstein and Woodward have been well-chronicled in ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN. The next thing that makes A GOOD LIFE a wonderful read is that Bradlee not only has led the good life--his own definition--he's also led a fascinating one. By some quirk of fate, he was witness to many of the more exciting events in the second half of the 20th century, and he reports on these events in a way that will rivet his fans. His description of his World War II naval career is as good as any other war memoir that I have read, and I have read quite a few. Bradlee was lucky to lead his "good life." And reading about it makes for a fascinating experience.
Rating:
Summary: His personality shines through!
Review: The most entertaining aspect of this book has to be Bradlee's personality. He is not afraid to make light of his own mistakes and lets you know when he later feels he lost his temper or acted rashly. I really enjoyed his candor. This is not some boring look back, this guy is a great storyteller!!
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: To say Ben Bradlee has had a good life is an understatement. He has led a lucky and extraordinary life. His book details a fascinating life that was the result of a great deal of luck, perseverance and hard work. Bradlee may have been born into privilege but he had to work hard in the Navy and starting very low in the Newspaper trade. This book shows how luck (a hard rain storm) and timing gave Bradlee the opportunity for a "Good Life/" I will admit that I have a bit of bias as I am a fan of the Washington Post, but I believe that this book is very revealing to some of the thinking behind some great news stories. The last few chapters in the book concern Watergate, the after affect, decisions on what to publish and why, and his final days at the Post. The two most interesting chapters in the book are the Watergate and the National Security chapters. I think any critics of the Post and Bradlee may read these and understand how hard the Post and Bardlee try to tell the straight stories with little bias. All in all this is a good book about Bradlee and some of the bigger stories in the U.S. during the second half of the 20th century.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: To say Ben Bradlee has had a good life is an understatement. He has led a lucky and extraordinary life. His book details a fascinating life that was the result of a great deal of luck, perseverance and hard work. Bradlee may have been born into privilege but he had to work hard in the Navy and starting very low in the Newspaper trade. This book shows how luck (a hard rain storm) and timing gave Bradlee the opportunity for a "Good Life/" I will admit that I have a bit of bias as I am a fan of the Washington Post, but I believe that this book is very revealing to some of the thinking behind some great news stories. The last few chapters in the book concern Watergate, the after affect, decisions on what to publish and why, and his final days at the Post. The two most interesting chapters in the book are the Watergate and the National Security chapters. I think any critics of the Post and Bradlee may read these and understand how hard the Post and Bardlee try to tell the straight stories with little bias. All in all this is a good book about Bradlee and some of the bigger stories in the U.S. during the second half of the 20th century.
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