Rating: 
Summary: Candor, Credibility, Legacy
Review:
With This Just In Bob Schieffer exposes his person with such candor that his credibility as a journalist is underpinned to an incredible degree.
I found this inside account of contemporary history one of the most riveting of our day.
One day we will not have Bob Schieffer. Based on this work, I hope Bob writes plenty more than he already has. He's leaving a wonderful legacy, and this reader really appreciates it!
Marvin Shilmer
Rating: 
Summary: Very pleasant memoir from a man who was there
Review: A memoir of the CBS newsman's life, from his early days as a police beat reporter, through Nixon and Watergate the bloodshed at home and at Vietnam in the '60s, up to 9/11. I had never heard of Schieffer before, even though he was originally a Texas newsman, and I'm from Texas! In any case, this is a very pleasant autiobiography which also serves as a sort of informal history of America's last half-century. (The subtitle is somewhat misleading, as the book does not provide us with juicy tidbits which were too classified or secret to be revealed at the time. This is simply a series of pieces on episodes of American history: Watergate, the Ford pardon, the Clinton years, etc.) At times, too, it gets a bit too bogged down in CBS' internecine struggles and budget cuts for the average layman to get worked up about, but otherwise, Schieffer elegantly balances personal anecdotes and commentary about American history in simple, uncluttered, reflective prose. I did enjoy the first part of the book more than the second, if only because Schieffer paints such an interesting picture of what American life was like in those pre-Watergate days (cops mistaking him for a detective because he wore a certain cap! no security at the Pentagon door!). I found this memoir very engaging and hard to put down; recommended. Oh, and a final word about bias: Schieffer demonstrates that he's an ethical journalist, and his biases are admitted but not apparent from his writing. I found his disapproving account of the Clinton years very fair, although I'm a big Clinton fan, and could find no fault with his assessments of Nixon, Ford or Carter (indeed, Schieffer opened my eyes to the accomplishments of these latter two). So I don't think Schieffer is wielding any kind of political axe here, though it is odd that the Reagan years are largely absent from the book.
Rating:
Summary: Where's Bernie?
Review: A well written memoir of a newsman forced into today's version of "news" (read showbiz). One glaring omission - no mention of former colleague Bernard Goldberg (author of "Bias"), who made Dan Rather and is fellow prima donnas fume. I wonder what Mr. Schieffer really thinks about this?
Rating:
Summary: Talking head writes
Review: And he writes very well. This isn't a quick read. The stories are too good and worthy of contemplation (e.g. his early observations in Viet Nam) to zoom through. It is a shamethat the current crop of news readers aren't up to his level.
Rating:
Summary: Just in, but already aware of.
Review: Bob really tries hard to convince, the information put forth is very well planned, beautifully written, eloquent, but is absolutely well known. People all over the world will be able to recognize what Bob is trying to convey. Not to many persons are unaware of the politics that invaded televison before the sixties. From president Kennedy's assasin, through Viet Nam, to 911, there is nothing new here in Bobs "This Just In." This is a good effort, as it is a continuing effort to expose the [stuff] in American Televison. We know, Bob. I suggest reading a book that takes it back to June of 1945 when the Japanese attacked Midway Island, we knew they were coming that day, also goes past 911, title is SB or God by Karl Maddox.
Rating: 
Summary: This Just in is a Just a Good Account of a Reporter's Life
Review: Bob Schieffer is a native of Fort Worth Texas, the host of Face the Nation and a season veteran reporter. In over 40 years the Texan has covered racial conflict in the South, the Vietnam War, several presidential campaigns and the horror of 9-11.
Schieffer begins his fine book with the story of how he picked up Lee Harvey Oswald's mother on the way to the police station on that horrific November day in Dallas. Schieffer recounts his slow rise from a local Ft. Worth Station to a newspaper and local TV to the major leagues at CBS.
Bob's book is filled with humorous anecdotes of his many jaunts in the presidential plane, intimate glimpses behind the scenes at CBS and his views of the men who have occupied the Oval Office.
I have always been a fan of CBS News the "Tiffany Network"
and Bob Schieffer in his warm writing style is like listening to an old pro give us the inside scoops on the biggest stories of our lifetimes.
The life of a national reporter like Schieffer is no bed of roses. Constant commuting from Washington DC to New York; always on call with family needs placed on the sidelines and the in fighting of who gets the anchor and other good assignments in the studio all make for a good read.
I found this book along with Tim Russert's excellent new book two delightful tomes to while away a summer day.
This is a good book by a well respected, beloved and great
newsman. We appreciate Bob Schieffer and thank him for his book!
Rating:
Summary: What a Just Read
Review: Bob Schieffer is an excellent reporter and as it turns out a superb writer. This behind the scenes view of 40 years of American history is a must read by anyone over 35. And this is the type of history book we all love to read covering the stuff that doesn't get in the paper or on the television. Schieffer has a wonderful style of writing. He makes you feel you're part of the story he's telling or better yet, he makes you feel he's telling you personally, while you're there. Great read for a long weekend.
Rating:
Summary: Glad I read this biography
Review: 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 don't 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 Schieffer's 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 Schieffer's 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 nation's 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.
Rating:
Summary: Reads like a great conversation
Review: Bob Schieffer writes as if he is talking to you, not at you. There is a humanity to his writing that is not only reflected in his comments on public events and well known people, but in his own honesty about himself.
Rating:
Summary: Stuck in Kansas
Review: Bob Schieffer's book is terrific. Schieffer makes anyone who is interested in journalism or who works in the field, feel good about their quirky desires to get the big story. In an unassuming way, he weaves the reader through his personal struggles, and accomplishments, modestly pointing out every time luck happened to come his way. His insights into war and politics seem especially relevant in this day and age. I'm 29 and love this book. My father is 60 and loves it. I would recommend it to anyone.
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