Rating: 
Summary: A Good Book. Cronkite Ought to be Compared to Carol Lin
Review: I really enjoyed reading _A Reporter's Life_. I felt that Walter Cronkite gave a good insight into his life, especially in broadcasting. During his years as the anchor of the "CBS Evening News," he showed excellence as an anchor.On November 22, 1963, millions of Americans first learned from Walter Cronkite when the news that President Kennedy had been assassinated. Everyone will remember Cronkite saying "From Dallas, Texas, the flash--apparently official--(Reading AP Flash) 'President Kennedy died at 1 p.m. (CST),' 2:00 Eastern standard time, some 38 minutes ago." After reading the book, you ought to compare Cronkite to CNN Anchor Carol Lin, since people remember where they were and what they were doing when they learned that President Kennedy was assassinated and Cronkite was the first anchor to break it. For those born after the assassination, the following words were their generation's version of "From Dallas, Texas, the flash--apparently official--President Kennedy died at 1 p.m. (CST), 2:00 Eastern standard time, some 38 minutes ago:" "Yeah. This just in. You are looking at obviously a very disturbing live shot there. That is the World Trade Center, and we have unconfirmed reports this morning that a plane has crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. "CNN Center right now is just beginning to work on this story, obviously calling our sources, and trying to figure out exactly what happened. But clearly, something relatively devastating happening this morning there on the south end of the island Manhattan. "That is, once again, a picture of one of the towers of the World Trade Center." (CNN Anchor Vince Cellini, seated beside Lin, added some words about the situation. Then they got Sean Murtagh, CNN vice-president of finance and administration, on the telephone then. From his office in the network's New York bureau on the 21st floor of 5 Penn Plaza, where he was when he saw the attack, he told them about what he knew about the situation. (Murtagh was in a nearby office, not in his office when the plane hit. He then went into his office, and using the telephone on his desk, he called CNN Center and was put on the air.) Murtagh was the first eyewitness television networks heard on the air that day. He was also network employee to be heard on the air after the story broke. Thus, he became the first network employee to tell many Americans that a commercial jet hit the World Trade Center when he said that a "large passenger commercial jet" hijacked on its way from Boston to L.A. hit the north tower of the World Trade Center. Both Cronkite and Lin said the first bulletins voice over. Cronkite broke into "As The World Turns" and said voice over a "CBS NEWS BULLETIN" slide that the president had been shot. Lin broke into an ad and said voice over a picture of one of the towers of the World Trade Center "with a huge smoking gaping hole in it" and at the bottom of the screen the graphic, "BREAKING NEWS: WORLD TRADE CENTER DISASTER--CNN LIVE--8:49a ET," that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.) With those words, Cronkite, on November 22, 1963, became a generation's version of Carol Lin, because on September 11, 2001, she was the first anchor to tell many Americans of a series of audacious and devastating terror attacks on the United States--terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon--the most devastating terror attack ever waged on the United States, doing so at 8:49 a.m., ET.
Rating: 
Summary: Had to be there
Review: I'm a little more than half way through this book. I'm 18 years old, so I never got to see Mr. Cronkite in action. I have seen him on a clip of the movie Apollo 13 and on the Oprah Winfrey show. I have always been interested in the history of the 20th century. Mr. Cronkite was there to view most of the events that shaped the U.S. This is the main reason that I picked up the book. When I starte reading, I noticed that the author writes more as a journalist than he does as an author. The book is am extremely long newspaper. I recomend this book for anyone over thirty. The reason I gave this book a 3 star is because it lacks suspense and drama. Its not a novel, its a long newspaper.
Rating: 
Summary: A good book by the best news man ever!
Review: I've always been a big fan of Walter Cronkite (I even got to meet and interview him while I was in college), but I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I was not disappointed. Cronkite takes the reader through his start in journalism and through all of the important events that he reported on while serving as managing editor of the CBS Evening News. He does jump around a little bit, but that is a very, very minor complaint. What I like most about the book is that Cronkite is honestly and genuinely modest. If there ever was a news man that would have cause to brag and take stock in his accomplishments in a high-handed manner, it's Cronkite, but he does not at all. Uncle Walter writes his book like he conducted his broadcasts - he just tells it like it is. This is a wonderful book not only for newshounds and journalism aficionados, but also for anyone who would like to read about a figure of Americana. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Good, light read.
Review: I've always regarded Walter Cronkite simply a news-writer/wire service reporter/voice-over narrater/anchorman-presenter. I think he purposely reflects this same idea in his title, A REPORTER'S LIFE -- nothing more, nothing less. His memoir is written similiary in a frank, concise, matter-of-fact style, and is unpretentious (most mercifully). A blue-collar reporter; I was born, went to school here, got a job at the local paper there, went overseas and covered the war, did some radio work, went to TV, retired, and here's what I think of network news today... (That's all). Don't look for any insights or deep introspections. For instance; I was truly interested to know his thoughts, feelings, and dealings with Ed Murrow and The Boys, and how he won CBS news from them. Walt only devoted 2 short paragraphs bascially saying: They were editorialists, and I was more front page news. (That's it?) How about working with Eric Severide? A sentence here, another one there. (Yep, that's it). The first half of the book is devoted to Walt growing up, working in newspapers, becoming a wire service reporter, and covering the war in Europe. This is some good stuff. Again, nothing intensive, but interesting. The second half of the book is about his television career with CBS. If you grew up watching Walt during this time, well -- there's not many surprises. He repeats how he choked up announcing JFK's death, calling the Vietnam War to be a lost cause, learning of LBJ's death with a phone call live on the air, watching Dan Rather getting slugged (woohoo!) at the Democratic Convention, etc. In the last chapter Walt gives his views on the state of network news and how it can be improved. To me, it was kind of sad. He doesn't fully appreciate or understand that it's dead. Yes, he gives some credit to the alternative news sources and how they're contributing to the demise of network news; but with all the 24 hour cable news channels, satellite TV, 2 channels of CSPAN; and the NY Times, Washington Post, BBC, foreign newspapers, and wire services on the Internet -- why would anyone want to suffer under the 3 network Ted Baxters we have now? All in all, it is a light, entertaining, and enjoyable read. It's like sitting with a favorite, jovial uncle at the dinner table, while he recounts his life's adventures.
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: Mr. Cronkite has written a very dull account of some decidly exciting times and events. He is a poor writer with some painfully dated views and opinions, particularly about race relations in the USA and the murder of JFK. Very disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Absorbing behind-the-scenes view of 20th century history
Review: Sometimes, Walter Cronkite rambles and the lack of an index is irritating. Those two quibbles aside, this is gripping stuff. Mr Cronkite is at his best when writing on something about which he feels strongly, such as the Vietnam war or civil rights in America. And, as you'd expect, he's good at communicating the excitement and emotion of the events he discusses. So, read this if you want to know why your teachers told you some of the stuff you learnt in history lessons!
Rating:
Summary: A propagandist, not a reporter
Review: The most interesting part of "Uncle" Walter's book, nay, the only interesting part of this flimsy self-serving memoir, is the former CBS (as in "see BS") anchorman's statement that to avoid WWIII, "a system of world order--preferably a system of world government--is mandatory." He also speaks of "social and political and economic evolution, which will explode with such suddenness as to have the character of revolution." He adds that "the revolutionary forces are already at work today, and they have humankind's dreams on their side." Revolutionary forces? I thought he just said it would "have the character of revolution" but would, in fact, be an "evolution." Get your facts straight, newsboy.
Of course, I haven't heard about these "revolutionary forces" on the network news, and neither has anyone else. But then Walter and his fellow news reporters in the mainstream media are not and have never been reporters. They're propagandists, making and shaping the news according to the dictates of their corporate owners. If those elitists can benefit from a war, Walter and company will beat the drums so the American people will go along with it. As for that "world government," Walter promotes it because he's a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and other New World Order groups who are, indeed, the "revolutionary forces" of whom he speaks. They're forcing their "revolution" on a world that doesn't want it, and the beast of the Bible's book of revelation will rule the one world government of which he speaks. And he knows it, too! Like most CFR members, and like all those who are promoting the New World Order, Cronkite is an occultist whose broadcasting career was all voodoo, a way to cast spells--broadly--on the viewers to prepare them mentally for the godless dictatorship that is soon to come.
Uncle Walter is going to Hell, kids. Weeping shall be there and the gnashing of teeth. Don't forget the Poligrip, grampa.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful But A Bit Superficial
Review: This book is a fast and fascinating read on Cronkite's 40 some year career in the field of journalism. I initially picked it up because I was interested in finding out the career path of famous journalists. I expected the book to offer an insightful recounting of the man's career, and being that it's an autobiography, I was also hoping for a deeply personal introspective from the author. I got the former, but I think the book runs a little thin on the latter.
Cronkite fills the book with facts and interesting anecdotes from his career as a journalist and reporter, and incidentally, it's also a historically look at our country's history from WWII and on. History buffs would enjoy that aspect of the book, which is broken up into several sections as organized by Cronkite, such as a section on the wars, a section devoted solely to the Presidents, and a section on the civil rights movements. What I took away is a pretty rosy picture of a man's career, which spans from newspaper to radio, and then finally TV, seemingly with always the right opportunities being offered and seized at just the right time. At times I felt it was either Cronkite was very lucky most of time in his career, or he's not telling you the full story.
What I liked about the book is Cronkite's style of writing, which is very approachable. He tells tales from his life as a reporter with the congeniality of a grandfather, and offers humours sidenotes that'll make you laugh along the way. He also maintains an air of genuine humbleness throughout. However, I also find his storytelling to be ultimately falling short on deep emotional substance. Maybe it's the man's near obsession with what he deems the "holy grail" of any good journalist - impartiality, or an unwillingness to be candid, but he seems to have little to say that's highly critical of any events or individuals that he's observed over the years. Even at points where he seems to be voicing opinions, he seems to be more objectively insightful and analytical rather than critical. It is only towards the end of the book, where we catch a glimpse of his more open criticism on broadcasting management and the state of the news media today.
The book is ultimately an enjoyable read on a man's life in journalism, a good review on history and evolution of the news media, but stops short on delivering strong emotional content.
Rating:
Summary: Nice Pick Up
Review: This book, of which I am nearing completion, is a very good book of one of the most influential men in American Society. It is a great book for those who grew up watching him as well as for those teenagers who can only imagine life in his day. People of all ages, well at least above 13, will enjoy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: You'd think the guy could write
Review: This is a surprisingly bad book, written essentially as a string of anecdotes on interesting things that happened to Walter Cronkite in his years as a newsman. For a guy who used to complain that a half-hour newscast wasn't long enough to adequately convey news, it's disappointing to see so many interesting moments in time (Walter's role in covering the Apollo 11 moon landing is a good example) get such short shrift. This book reads like it was dictated into a tape recorder. There's a continual "then there was the time I..." approach to introducing the various anecodtes, and while I suppose a straight chronological approach might not have worked, it's jarring to read about LBJ's reaction to the Kennedy assassination several chapters BEFORE Cronkite recalls the assassination itself. It'll be up to someone else to do the definitive Cronkite biography.
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