Rating: 
Summary: A good read and tour of 20th century America
Review: I nearly gave this book a pass because of it's length. I'm of the opinion that for reasons of humility and economy no autobiography should exceed 400 pages. That said, this is a rewarding read. Graham writes with grace and wit of a complex life. One which began at the tail end of New York's gilded age and threaded it's way through the great epoches and events of the American century. She was not a great molder of those events, although her position as Publisher of the Washington Post was not without influence. Graham does, however, have insight and perception of the many great personalities, in all realms of human endeavor, which passed through her life. Circumstance and privilege gave her a box seat to history, personal tragedy and turbulence gave her an inner awareness of the human dimension of those events. This is a fine biography of a woman whose uncompromising style stamped it's mark on the American newspaper business, a notoriously masculine endeavor. The four stars are a reflection of my feeling that book could have profited from a more forceful editor. It's well worth the effort, however, and should be considered a must for all students of American political and social history of the 20th century.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting & Historic Story
Review: I've had this book since early 1998. I started it and was flabberghasted to learn that Katherine Grahams' parents lived in my hometown (Alameda, CA) for a short spell. Then, I put the book to the side and never finished it. I finally put my foot down and completed the book from 6/24/01-7/4/01. It's a great book to finish on the 4th of July with all of the Presidential gossip salt n' peppered throughout the book. I found the stories about her parents most interesting. I was surprised to learn that her husband Phil was a manic-depressive. Coincidentally, he worked for RAND...just like John Forbes Nash (the Nobel Prize winner a la A BEAUTIFUL MIND)...I wonder if working for that establishment has an negative impact on the employees. You wonder about these secretive employers that would get any one paranoid--the CIA included. I could have done without so much of the boring Watergate & The Pentagon Papers time that the book allowed, but she made it worthwhile. If you're interested in journalists, the Washington DC high-life and/or the Washington Post Company you'll enjoy this book. Katherine Graham is one lady to be admired. She's had a wonderful life with another decade or two to go...I'm sure. It's no wonder that this book won the Pulitzer Prize with the historic news & her profound philosophy and wisdom-sharing for living life and dealing with suffering (loss of parents/husband). One of my favorite lines in the book: THERE IS NO GREATER WEALTH THAN HEALTH.
Rating: 
Summary: Impersonal personal history
Review: I thought I would be giving 5 stars for an award winning book but after reading, it just fell short. There was too much name-dropping, one has to be very familiar with the power scene of Washington at her time to really appreciate who was who and their significance. That itself made the book very unapproachable to readers who do not move in her circle, non-American, the younger generation etc. A lot of time she just mentioned the names and expected the readers to know who they were or connect to her earlier mentions (it would really be a pain to constantly check the index and refer back to the earlier pages!)This book read like an account of achievement of her father, her husband and herself. Honestly, Katharine came across as someone fairly stupid (though kind), I couldn't help to wonder if she was who she was simply because of her birth, marriage and being there at the right time. For a personal history, it came across as fairly impersonal.
Rating:
Summary: Wordy
Review: An autobiography of the former publisher and owner of the Washington Post, this book covered not only the author's life, but crucial events spanning the majority of the 20th century (of which she happened to be a part). What I appreciated was Ms. Graham's abstention from self-pity or bitterness regarding her husband, Philip. Reading between the lines of this courtesy, however, it is evident that, for all his accomplishments in politics and publishing, he was an egomaniacal, emotionally abusive and seriously disturbed man. It was the 'personal' part of her 'history' that kept me reading, for I found the book to be too wordy and often tiresome. Full speeches, for example, did not have to be quoted in their entirety. The biblical so-and-so begat so-and so bored me even though the children Ms. Graham "begat" are hardly mentioned. A certain name-dropping weakness pervades throughout the telling-even though the names are being dropped by one who is a name unto herself. I preferred her own revealing, and often amusing, anecdotes. For the learning pleasure, I am glad that I read PERSONAL HISTORY. But for pure reading pleasure, I was disappointed. Surely Ms. Graham deserves some sort of medal or kudos for all she has accomplished. A Pulitzer Prize for this book, however, was not warranted.
Rating: 
Summary: Helped me view historical incidents differently
Review: Enjoyed the taped version of PERSONAL HISTORY by Katharine
Graham . . . this is the story of how she struggled to make the
WASHINGTON PRESS a success . . . her recollections of the
Pentagon Papers and Watergate helped me see these incidents
from a different perspective . . . but I was most moved by her
account of Phil Graham, her husband and lifelong partner in the
newspaper business . . . his plunge into manic-depression
and eventual suicide were made even more touching by his wife's
excellent job of narration. I also liked what Katharine Graham had to say at the book's conclusion
about there being "some positives about being old" . . . namely: Worry, if not gone, no longer haunts you in the middle of the night; and You are free or freer to turn down the things that bore you and [able to]
spend time on matters and with people that you enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: She did live an amazing life
Review: I'm so glad that I found this book. It was like reading a history book that was both nurturing and fun. Through Personal History, Graham proved herself to be a wonderful writer and a person. She was born to a wealthy family, married to a brilliant man, and later in her life, became one of the most powerful persons in Washington and in journalism. Katharine Graham indeed was a living history. Katharine Graham was well- born and intellectual, which led her to meet some of the most important and famous people in the world. These include the Presidents of the US, leaders of the world, and people who shaped Washington like herself. Some people, like my husband, say this book is all about name dropping, but I totally don't agree with them. The people Graham mentions in the book are not just ordinary people; a lot of these people are mentioned in other people's biographies and major newspapers. Even though Katharine Graham was named one of the most powerful persons in the world, she portrays herself in the most humblist way. Personal History is written in the most detailed and humorous way, so I felt as though I didn't miss much of her life story at all. It was overall very easy reading. She describes the vital events and the people she met during her life time in detail and with her total memory. I learned a lot about the journalism and the Watergate incident from reading this book, and agree that this book deserves Pulitzer Prize.
Rating:
Summary: What an Incredible Story!!!
Review: This book just absolutely blew me away! It's a long book, some 600 pages, but it truly is one that the reader can hardly bear to put down. Katharine Graham is widely recognized for her association with Watergate, but this book goes oh so much further in truly revealing what an incredible woman she truly was. In truth, it reveals a person of such incredible humility and impeccable character. Perhaps what amazed me the most about the book (I, like most, expected the frequent references to "who's who" in American history--she just happenned to rub shoulders with all of them) was her glaring honesty in talking about herself in retrospect--her self esteem, her marriage, her abilities as a manger, and her track record as a mother. Katharine Graham was courageous enough, and indeed showed her brilliance, in truly opening up about what she faced growing up in a sheltered, priveleged upbringing. She was honest about her mother, her relationship with her father, and her insecurity in dealing with men in her early years. The Watergate sequence of the book can't be glossed over--she saved American journalism--but the reader is so drawn into the development of her as a confident, commanding individual and her growth as a manager, that Watergate does not consume the book. In fact, she devotes perhaps equal time to the labor issues that bogged the business down in the 1970's. Her humility is evident throughout the book. The references to power and greatness are inevitable; after all, how many Americans can have claimed to have lunched at Albert Einstein's house, been close friends with Teddy Roosevelt's daughter, and have summered with Nancy Reagan? Despite the references, she is impeccably honest in her assesment of people--a refreshing trait. This is truly a remarkable read for anyone who truly wants to discover what makes a true leader.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting life... but not for 600+ pages!
Review: The interesting life of an interesting woman that could hold the readers' interest better if it were half the length! Kay Graham manages to overcome many of her life's obstacles -- and privileges -- to become a powerful and effective leader. She doesn't always make sound choices; she clings to her corrosive and philandering husband through thick and thin, and she overturns her Republican father's desire to create an unbiased-newspaper by making The Post a mouthpiece for the Democrats. But it is her mistakes that make Graham most interesting and accessible to readers. Her journey is rich and varied, but not so much that it warrants more than 600 pages. Definitely, many chapters deserve only the lightest of skimming.
Rating:
Summary: Not as hot as I had thought
Review: I have wanted to read this book ever since its first printing. Since it won the Pulitzer Prize my desire to read it has only intensified. When I finally found the time to read this book, I was somewhat disappointed. This is a good memoir of a fascinating woman. It documents very well her personal and professional struggles. But, it is slightly boring and full of self-depricating comments that seem aimed at making the common man identify with the author, whose lifestyle is unknown to most readers of her book. It is a good book, but not as hot as I had thought it would be.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoying it thoroughly
Review: Given that this book won the P. Prize I wonder at all the negative reviews on this website. Personally, I am enjoying this book all the way. I wish it were longer. Viewing history through this woman's eyes has been fascinating and exciting for me. Kay Graham had a lot to cover and I admire that she did it with as much honesty and humility as she did. I enjoyed reading all the names she "dropped." I loved learning the inside scoop on LBJ, JFK, Truman Capote, Adlai Stevenson, Nixon, etc. etc. Reading this book also restored my faith in the process of progress in this country. After the Bush 2 "election" and the WTC catastrophe I became paranoid that my government had more power than it really does. I started wondering if there really was a "vast right wing conspiracy" well beyond anyone's control and if we were all doomed. This book restored my faith that it wasn't quite so tightly controlled as all that. Our government is and has been a snarled, chaotic soup but at least progress HAS been made and the press and people do have a voice. The government eventually listens. I also appreciated her candid assessment of herself and her family. She did a heroic job of seeing many emotional situations from both sides. Her progression from a shy, submissive daughter and wife to a woman of power was inspiring and exciting for me. No, this book is not perfect but I sure hate for it to end.
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