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Between You and Me: A Memoir
At the age of 87, Mike Wallace is a legendary figure in broadcast journalism. Now, after 60 years of reporting on important events around the world, he shares his personal stories about the incredible range of celebrities, newsmakers, criminals, and world leaders who have subjected themselves to his unique brand of questioning.
Through Wallace's intimate observations about these figures, we experience afresh the pivotal events that have shaped our world. Here, we meet the guilt-racked Secret Service agent assigned to John F. Kennedy's car in Dallas. We learn about the candid moment when President Nixon revealed an unexpected softer side. We witness the underpinnings of the century's greatest social movement through Wallace's eyes as he manages to earn the trust of major civil rights leaders, and we see the trauma Wallace experienced while covering the conflict in Israel. These off-camera anecdotes and fascinating excerpts from Wallace's interviews--with everyone from Eleanor Roosevelt to all the presidents of the last half century, from Frank Lloyd Wright to Johnny Carson, from Margaret Sanger to Malcom X--give us a new perspective on some of the greatest lives and minds of our time.
With a reporter's eye for detail, Wallace mingles laughter, tragedy, and revelatory insight in a memoir unlike any other. For anyone who's ever wondered what it's like to make history for a living, this is a must-read.
Through Wallace's intimate observations about these figures, we experience afresh the pivotal events that have shaped our world. Here, we meet the guilt-racked Secret Service agent assigned to John F. Kennedy's car in Dallas. We learn about the candid moment when President Nixon revealed an unexpected softer side. We witness the underpinnings of the century's greatest social movement through Wallace's eyes as he manages to earn the trust of major civil rights leaders, and we see the trauma Wallace experienced while covering the conflict in Israel. These off-camera anecdotes and fascinating excerpts from Wallace's interviews--with everyone from Eleanor Roosevelt to all the presidents of the last half century, from Frank Lloyd Wright to Johnny Carson, from Margaret Sanger to Malcom X--give us a new perspective on some of the greatest lives and minds of our time.
With a reporter's eye for detail, Wallace mingles laughter, tragedy, and revelatory insight in a memoir unlike any other. For anyone who's ever wondered what it's like to make history for a living, this is a must-read.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
23 people are currently reading
264 people want to read
About the author
Mike Wallace
92 books10 followersMyron Leon Wallace was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. Known for his investigative journalism, he interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade career. He was one of the original correspondents featured on CBS news program 60 Minutes, which debuted in 1968. Wallace retired as a regular full-time correspondent in 2006, but still appeared occasionally on the series until 2008. He is the father of Chris Wallace.
Wallace interviewed many politicians, celebrities, and academics, such as Tina Turner, Joseph Bonanno, Vladimir Horowitz, Bobby Fischer, Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Callas, Malcolm X, Richard Nixon, Pearl S. Buck, Deng Xiaoping, Ronald Reagan, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Jiang Zemin, Ruhollah Khomeini, Kurt Waldheim, Frank Lloyd Wright, Yasser Arafat, Menachem Begin, Anwar Sadat, Louis Farrakhan, Manuel Noriega, John Nash, Gordon B. Hinckley, Vladimir Putin, Barbra Streisand, Salvador Dalí, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, William Carlos Williams, Mickey Cohen, Roy Cohn, Dean Reed, Jimmy Fratianno, Morgan Freeman, Aldous Huxley, Bertrand Russell, and Ayn Rand.
Wallace interviewed many politicians, celebrities, and academics, such as Tina Turner, Joseph Bonanno, Vladimir Horowitz, Bobby Fischer, Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Callas, Malcolm X, Richard Nixon, Pearl S. Buck, Deng Xiaoping, Ronald Reagan, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Jiang Zemin, Ruhollah Khomeini, Kurt Waldheim, Frank Lloyd Wright, Yasser Arafat, Menachem Begin, Anwar Sadat, Louis Farrakhan, Manuel Noriega, John Nash, Gordon B. Hinckley, Vladimir Putin, Barbra Streisand, Salvador Dalí, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, William Carlos Williams, Mickey Cohen, Roy Cohn, Dean Reed, Jimmy Fratianno, Morgan Freeman, Aldous Huxley, Bertrand Russell, and Ayn Rand.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
September 12, 2025
A straightforward collection of essays that describe interviews Wallace had with various and sundry persons. Mike conducted these sessions starting in the 50s and carried on into the new millennium, a real workhorse of journalism. He covered segregationists and civil rights leaders, most presidents and a couple folks you never heard of, big stars and even a few crooks: something for everyone.
I really enjoyed this but have one question— why would a big-time journalist use a co-author? My only guess is that as an octogenarian, he wasn’t up to all the work, and needed help.
I really enjoyed this but have one question— why would a big-time journalist use a co-author? My only guess is that as an octogenarian, he wasn’t up to all the work, and needed help.
January 20, 2009
I thought this was a very interesting book. It gave some interesting insite into some of the people he interviewed over his long career. I only wish he had told more.
March 3, 2024
“Tough---but fair,” that is the epitaph Mike Wallace told others when asked about what he wanted on his tombstone. After reading “Between You and Me,” you could say that phrase could also summarize the legendary newsman’s own memoir. The title of this retrospective was another phrase Wallace frequently employed in his on-screen interviews to attempt to elicit responses from reluctant guests.
A couple of surprising takeaways for this reviewer: I was not aware that Wallace, one of the original co-hosts of the iconic newsmagazine show, “60 Minutes,” got his start on local television, Channel 5 in New York, then moved to ABC, before finally landing at CBS. Secondly, Tucker Carlson’s recent, controversial interview with Russian president Vladimir Putin, was not the first time the dictator had granted a Western reporter an exclusive Q&A. For one, Wallace met with Putin in the spring of 2005. That May 9th “Sixty Minutes” exclusive conversation occurred on Wallace’s 87th birthday. Ironically, writing this journal that same year, Wallace noted on the very last page that Putin at the time, was “in his second and---according to the Russian constitution---last term as president.” The CBS icon wrote, “In 2008, (Putin will) be out of a job, fifty-five years old and still in the prime of life. What will he do? He says he will not try to amend the constitution to stay on.” And then, “almost as a joke, (Wallace) asked him: What about journalism?” The veteran reporter suggested to Putin that with a career in journalism, there is no age limit, it pays well, and he might get a chance to interview the next president of the United States for Russian TV. Too bad Putin did not follow up on Wallace’s career advice. If he had, it is more than likely the Crimean Peninsula and the rest of Ukraine would still be free.
Most of this second publication by Wallace and his co-author Gary Paul Gates consists of behind-the-scenes stories linked to on-screen guests featured on the iconic “Sixty Minutes.” Wallace and Gates also include brief transcripts from those actual telecasts, which really bring the celebrities’ voices and personalities to life. The value of this 292-page debriefing is doubled when you consider it also “includes an 82-minute DVD (containing) Wallace’s most famous interviews.” If you watch Wallace in action, you will notice that the video is organized by categories precisely in the same way as his printed version: first the presidents, followed by the first ladies, race in America, the Middle East, icons and artists, con men and other crooks, generals and whistleblowers, Valentines and finally other celebrated characters. All those personalities sum up the late journalist’s entire broadcast career. For those who remember all those faces and voices, this is an absolute must read.
A couple of surprising takeaways for this reviewer: I was not aware that Wallace, one of the original co-hosts of the iconic newsmagazine show, “60 Minutes,” got his start on local television, Channel 5 in New York, then moved to ABC, before finally landing at CBS. Secondly, Tucker Carlson’s recent, controversial interview with Russian president Vladimir Putin, was not the first time the dictator had granted a Western reporter an exclusive Q&A. For one, Wallace met with Putin in the spring of 2005. That May 9th “Sixty Minutes” exclusive conversation occurred on Wallace’s 87th birthday. Ironically, writing this journal that same year, Wallace noted on the very last page that Putin at the time, was “in his second and---according to the Russian constitution---last term as president.” The CBS icon wrote, “In 2008, (Putin will) be out of a job, fifty-five years old and still in the prime of life. What will he do? He says he will not try to amend the constitution to stay on.” And then, “almost as a joke, (Wallace) asked him: What about journalism?” The veteran reporter suggested to Putin that with a career in journalism, there is no age limit, it pays well, and he might get a chance to interview the next president of the United States for Russian TV. Too bad Putin did not follow up on Wallace’s career advice. If he had, it is more than likely the Crimean Peninsula and the rest of Ukraine would still be free.
Most of this second publication by Wallace and his co-author Gary Paul Gates consists of behind-the-scenes stories linked to on-screen guests featured on the iconic “Sixty Minutes.” Wallace and Gates also include brief transcripts from those actual telecasts, which really bring the celebrities’ voices and personalities to life. The value of this 292-page debriefing is doubled when you consider it also “includes an 82-minute DVD (containing) Wallace’s most famous interviews.” If you watch Wallace in action, you will notice that the video is organized by categories precisely in the same way as his printed version: first the presidents, followed by the first ladies, race in America, the Middle East, icons and artists, con men and other crooks, generals and whistleblowers, Valentines and finally other celebrated characters. All those personalities sum up the late journalist’s entire broadcast career. For those who remember all those faces and voices, this is an absolute must read.
January 9, 2022
Interesting, quick read from a journalist who doesn’t talk enough about journalism. Instead, Wallace shares some clips from stimulating 60-minute shows, some gossip, and sprinkled in a little about his own life including a mention of a late divorce, his own career highs and lows, and a bit about his clinical depression.
Most interesting was a story about the lawsuit by General Westmoreland against CBS and the fight against the tobacco industry. The behinds the scenes discussion about his interview with the Shah of Iran and The Ayatollah Khomeini were also remarkable. With the Shah, Wallace reported that there were no ground rules or advanced review of his questions. The resulting interview was interesting. While he had to submit questions in advance for Khomeini and accept that the government could censor his questions, he ended up asking a question where then President Sadat of Egypt called him a “lunatic.” The reaction was astounding.
Ironically, Wallace closes out the book speaking of an interview he did with former KGB agent and Russian leader, Vladimir Putin in 2005. He questions the president, at the end of his second and then last constitutionally available term, of his future. “In 200, he’ll be out of a job, fifty-five years old and still in the primes of his life. What will be do?” Wallace took his word that he would not try to amend the constitution. Wallace asked the dictator, “almost as a joke,” what about journalism? Ironic that a man who spent most of his career as a journalist would make such a suggestion of someone who cracked down on journalist in such an abusive manner.
Most interesting was a story about the lawsuit by General Westmoreland against CBS and the fight against the tobacco industry. The behinds the scenes discussion about his interview with the Shah of Iran and The Ayatollah Khomeini were also remarkable. With the Shah, Wallace reported that there were no ground rules or advanced review of his questions. The resulting interview was interesting. While he had to submit questions in advance for Khomeini and accept that the government could censor his questions, he ended up asking a question where then President Sadat of Egypt called him a “lunatic.” The reaction was astounding.
Ironically, Wallace closes out the book speaking of an interview he did with former KGB agent and Russian leader, Vladimir Putin in 2005. He questions the president, at the end of his second and then last constitutionally available term, of his future. “In 200, he’ll be out of a job, fifty-five years old and still in the primes of his life. What will be do?” Wallace took his word that he would not try to amend the constitution. Wallace asked the dictator, “almost as a joke,” what about journalism? Ironic that a man who spent most of his career as a journalist would make such a suggestion of someone who cracked down on journalist in such an abusive manner.
March 6, 2024
Mike Wallace with Gary Paul Gates, co-authors of Between You And Me A Memoir is packed with interesting personalities. The interviews were with visionaries, rabble rousers, con men, presidents, criminals, cultural icons, world leaders, but rather dated, since this book was published in 2005. One of the world leaders reflecting this problem is Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who came across moderately, compared to his present dictatorial ways.
Wallace’s career as an interviewer lasted for six decades. He died at 93. On 60 Minutes, things didn’t always go smoothly. At times, he and the show were controversial. He butted heads with the CBS brass. This was especially true with the investigation of William C. Westmoreland’s leadership during the Vietnam war. Problems with this program led to millions-of dollars law suit that resulted in sleepless nights, and depression, but was eventually withdrawn.
Of the hundreds of interviews, Wallace talked with presidents – all except one, artists, authors, singers -Barbara Streisand, and Tina Turner. His shows about First Ladies - Eleanor Roosevelt, and Rosalynn Carter were revealing. Black leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcom X were about Civil Rights. He however had some difficulty before landing an interview with Johnny Carson, the reigning king of the Tonight Show.
Wallace’s career as an interviewer lasted for six decades. He died at 93. On 60 Minutes, things didn’t always go smoothly. At times, he and the show were controversial. He butted heads with the CBS brass. This was especially true with the investigation of William C. Westmoreland’s leadership during the Vietnam war. Problems with this program led to millions-of dollars law suit that resulted in sleepless nights, and depression, but was eventually withdrawn.
Of the hundreds of interviews, Wallace talked with presidents – all except one, artists, authors, singers -Barbara Streisand, and Tina Turner. His shows about First Ladies - Eleanor Roosevelt, and Rosalynn Carter were revealing. Black leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcom X were about Civil Rights. He however had some difficulty before landing an interview with Johnny Carson, the reigning king of the Tonight Show.
March 31, 2019
Myron Leon "Mike" Wallace was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. He interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade career. He was one of the original correspondents for CBS' 60 Minutes.
He died in 2012 at the age of 93. This book was published in 2005, so a bit outdated.
The author states at the beginning of the book that he previously published an autobiography so he does not rehash the parts of his life that are in that book. This book is more a memoir of people he has interviewed over the years, from political figures, historical figures, and movie and tv stars. Each chapter is fairly short and ends up being more of a history of that person than the actual interview. There will usually be a couple of paragraphs or pages of interview. I was actually a little bored with this book, hence the 3 star rating.
He died in 2012 at the age of 93. This book was published in 2005, so a bit outdated.
The author states at the beginning of the book that he previously published an autobiography so he does not rehash the parts of his life that are in that book. This book is more a memoir of people he has interviewed over the years, from political figures, historical figures, and movie and tv stars. Each chapter is fairly short and ends up being more of a history of that person than the actual interview. There will usually be a couple of paragraphs or pages of interview. I was actually a little bored with this book, hence the 3 star rating.
March 6, 2020
This audiobook was in a stack I wasn't particularly anxious to listen to and had passed it over several times for something more fun like romance or cutesy fiction. I finally decided to just see what it was about and it didn't disappoint at all. Mike Wallace's voice is so familiar, a voice from my childhood as well as adulthood. I used to watch "60 Minutes" whenever possible and his voice just wraps around a story like a nice warm blanket in the middle of winter. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of the inside stories to the ones I'd seen on the TV show. I was kind of bummed when the book ended, only to be pleasantly surprised that there was a DVD at the end. I'll be watching that next. Thanks Mike Wallace for another wonderful piece of fine journalism. I enjoyed this book far more than I expected I would.
July 8, 2018
I'm glad I read this and it made me want to read his previous books.
Unfortunately, it didn't make me like him much and then I had to debate with myself as to whether he went too far with his tactics (someone else mentioned the Barbra Streisand interview) or whether the roles his job dictated went too far.
Unfortunately, it didn't make me like him much and then I had to debate with myself as to whether he went too far with his tactics (someone else mentioned the Barbra Streisand interview) or whether the roles his job dictated went too far.
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March 17, 2021Great book, quick read. I really enjoy the depth of detail Wallace went into when he described his interviews, some of which I watched before reading this book. He was able to provide me with behind the scene information that only he, the person being interviewed, and the crew that produced would have known.
December 7, 2022
Famous and infamous, they all have one confidant in common—Mike Wallace. Now, in this candid and revealing book, Wallace tells behind-the-scenes stories from his remarkable sixty-year career. Here are intimate anecdotes, off camera antics, never-before-told tales, and most important, Wallace’s insights about some unforgettable characters.
June 20, 2023
I picked up this book at a giant book sale. I am a big fan of 60 minutes from back in the day and was a fan of Mike Wallace. I remember him as being a gritty interviewer who was no nonsense. Well I found these traits to overflow into his writing resulting in a very dry read. There were interesting moments but too much on some topics and not enough on others.
December 17, 2017
this is not your typical Memoir . it's really interviews , and it includes a disc of voice interviews you can hear, so it's not so much about Mike Wallace's life as the amazing people that he got to know. He teaches history from the 50s to current in a very touching way.
February 25, 2020
Readers of this book will have to tolerate Wallace's self-importance and self-absorption, but this memoir about all the various cultural and political figures he interviewed over the years makes for an interesting, readable mini-course on mid 20th Century history. Not bad.
September 20, 2022
Over a career that spanned decades ,Mike Wallace interviewed some of the most interesting and influential people in America and abroad. This behind the scenes and on the scene set of tales was highly entertaining and informative.
April 15, 2021
Essential for the diehard bulldog fan. Covers many of his notable interviews, with background, context, controversy. A victory lap of sorts at 87. But well deserved, in my opinion.
September 4, 2022
I honestly only read the parts of the people I was interested in reading about. It is fascinating to read about public figures and how they act behind the scenes.
September 16, 2023
Really interesting book that you wouldn't expect less of Mike Wallace. He could get the story out of people. Such a loss that he was such a good reporter. Could use a few Mike's these days.
December 6, 2024
It was a well written book showcasing the incredibly vast diversity of people that Mike Wallace encountered and interviewed.
December 8, 2024
Enjoyed reading this and think I’ll watch more of his interviews as a result. Didn’t always keep me enthralled but found it interesting overall.
February 13, 2016
Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes fame was born in 1918. This is his memoir written in 2005, seven years before he passed away. And he was still going strong.
"Between You and Me" gave me an inside look on how many of his interviews came to be, some of his regrets as a journalist and a glimpse of the way he thought of himself as a journalist. At times he comes across arrogant, at times earnest. "Fair - but tough," is how he hoped to be remembered. And that seems to be the theme of the anecdotes he includes here.
I'm a sucker for reading about how other journalists do their jobs, and the making of an interview and the little stories that go along with. So it was a quick and easy read for me. To be sure, spanning such a career we're talking glimpses at best.
Fun things I learned: Tina Turner picked cotton growing up before she changed her name from Annie Mae and saw herself "beyond color" Russian President Vladamir Putin didn't ask to see interview questions before Wallace interviewed him in 2005. Wallace was embarrassed when Bert Lancaster walked off camera during an interview in which Wallace asked him about his temper.
Two things I underlined:
"A good interviewer does his bet to control the verbal exchange, to follow the agenda he has put together for the occasion. But comedians resist that." {talking about interviews with Johnny Carson and Mel Brooks.]
"...there was a natural, built-in conflict between the news culture and the corporate culture." [talking about the Big Tobacco whistle blower story that CBS scrubbed]
"Between You and Me" gave me an inside look on how many of his interviews came to be, some of his regrets as a journalist and a glimpse of the way he thought of himself as a journalist. At times he comes across arrogant, at times earnest. "Fair - but tough," is how he hoped to be remembered. And that seems to be the theme of the anecdotes he includes here.
I'm a sucker for reading about how other journalists do their jobs, and the making of an interview and the little stories that go along with. So it was a quick and easy read for me. To be sure, spanning such a career we're talking glimpses at best.
Fun things I learned: Tina Turner picked cotton growing up before she changed her name from Annie Mae and saw herself "beyond color" Russian President Vladamir Putin didn't ask to see interview questions before Wallace interviewed him in 2005. Wallace was embarrassed when Bert Lancaster walked off camera during an interview in which Wallace asked him about his temper.
Two things I underlined:
"A good interviewer does his bet to control the verbal exchange, to follow the agenda he has put together for the occasion. But comedians resist that." {talking about interviews with Johnny Carson and Mel Brooks.]
"...there was a natural, built-in conflict between the news culture and the corporate culture." [talking about the Big Tobacco whistle blower story that CBS scrubbed]
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June 21, 2010In this tepid memoir, the 60 Minutes grand inquisitor appears rather manipulative, turning on a dime from unctuous insinuation to prosecutorial grilling, always searching for the point of emotional revelation when his subject weeps, rants or flounders in self-incriminating panic. Wallace includes many transcripts of such moments from his 50-year interviewing career, but with a few exceptions—a breakdown by JFK bodyguard Clint Hill, Norman Mailer calling Eisenhower a "bit of a woman"—they feel flat on the page, couched as they are in rambling, repetitive conversational prose (readers may find the accompanying DVD of broadcast highlights—not seen by PW—somewhat livelier).
Stripped of televisual aura, the transcripts also reveal the paucity of hard information Wallace uncovers; often, the interviews are more like theatrical showcases for the behind-the-scenes grunt work of journalistic fact-finding. Wallace himself seems to have learned little from it, to judge by his background commentary, which consists mainly of historical glosses interwoven with usually friendly (or adulatory) personal reminiscences of famous interviewees. Wallace does offer intriguing, if defensive, accounts of journalistic crises like CBS's censoring of a 60 Minutes interview with tobacco whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand.
Stripped of televisual aura, the transcripts also reveal the paucity of hard information Wallace uncovers; often, the interviews are more like theatrical showcases for the behind-the-scenes grunt work of journalistic fact-finding. Wallace himself seems to have learned little from it, to judge by his background commentary, which consists mainly of historical glosses interwoven with usually friendly (or adulatory) personal reminiscences of famous interviewees. Wallace does offer intriguing, if defensive, accounts of journalistic crises like CBS's censoring of a 60 Minutes interview with tobacco whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand.
November 10, 2010
I thought this book was simultaneously entertaining (for the most part) for the reader and self-serving for Mr. Wallace. It's ok that it was self-serving, because he's earned the right to have his say. However, on occasion I just felt he was a little bit too full of himself. His interview with Barbara Streisand, which he discusses in his book, almost out-raged me. His intent was likely to stir strong feelings in Ms. Streisand and in the people watching the interview, but I felt he crossed a line and asked questions which were way too personal.
Mr. Wallace definitely has an ego - you don't do his job for as long as he has without having one. And I would argue that he needs to have a big ego to do the kind of work he has done as well as he had done it for as long as he has. But in this book I found Mr. Wallace's ego just a bit too "front and center" for my taste. I think he could have written this book to me more informative and less self promoting.
Mr. Wallace definitely has an ego - you don't do his job for as long as he has without having one. And I would argue that he needs to have a big ego to do the kind of work he has done as well as he had done it for as long as he has. But in this book I found Mr. Wallace's ego just a bit too "front and center" for my taste. I think he could have written this book to me more informative and less self promoting.
January 18, 2013
4 1/2 stars. Grew up with Mike Wallace and always glad he was there reporting the news, interviewing those in the news and sometimes helping improve our lives with his controversial investigative style. It covers everything from Eleanor Roosevelt through civil rights, Vietnam, Watergate, Middle East and many celebrities up to the mid 1990's. Includes both his thoughts about being Jewish and his bout with depression. The chapters on Wiggand and tobacco or Westmoreland and Vietnam show how journalism can be used to help change history for the better by exposing the cover ups, lies, and deception being fed to the public by government and industry. This book should be read by anyone who wants to know more about history than boring textbooks cover during the more than 60 years Mike covered the news and our culture. Wished the book had been a little longer.
November 10, 2009
Mike Wallace was doing broadcast interviews when I was born, so his recollections were of nostalgic interest and historic significance. This was a book-on-CD and included interview excerpts with Eleanor Roosevelt, JFK’s body guard, Martin Luther King, Jr., LBJ, Malcolm X, Menachem Begin, Anwar Sadat, the Shah of Iran, Frank Lloyd Wright, and other deceased giants of previous generations. I’d like to have heard the full interview on several of these guests and others he didn’t mention, like Ayn Rand. There’s an old Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” Wallace did. Strangely, though, we may not fully appreciate just how interesting our own times are until they pass us by.
May 27, 2013
This was a delightful book giving inside views of many of the people who were the most important leaders during my lifetime. I always loved 60 Minutes so I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes action. I also found Mike Wallace to be fair and professional which was really reinforced in this book.
I also appreciated, as a Jewish person who truly wants to see peace in the Middle East with a two-state solution, that he feels the pro-Israel lobby to be extremely one-sided and to have the ear of too many politicians. I am sorry he had to suffer at the hands of that lobby.
I especially enjoyed the short clips on the enclosed DVD. It really brought back memories.
I also appreciated, as a Jewish person who truly wants to see peace in the Middle East with a two-state solution, that he feels the pro-Israel lobby to be extremely one-sided and to have the ear of too many politicians. I am sorry he had to suffer at the hands of that lobby.
I especially enjoyed the short clips on the enclosed DVD. It really brought back memories.
October 19, 2008
I listened to the audio version of the this book, which included actual broadcasting sound clips from some of the interviews Mike Wallace had over the course of 60 years in broadcasting journalism. He interviewed a guilt-laden secret service agent when Kennedy was shot, a member of the mafia, President Nixon and Reagan, Eleanor Roosevelt, Tina Turner, Malcolm X and leaders of other countries. The book was a memoir of his life in journalism and not so much about his personal life outside of the workforce.
December 21, 2013
This is a short book--most of which covers events we've seen in 60 Minutes anthologies through the years. There's some insightful stuff--like Mike went to college with Arthur Miller, knew Nancy's Regan's mother (and little Nancy) very well, and that's he's not a hack despite what "The Insider" makes us believe. The best remembrance is what spawned the title, where Mike asks the tax cheat to tell him "just between you and me", and the TV audience. Colbert couldn't have pulled that off any better.
November 9, 2010
The book was very enjoyable. Like another commentator - I wish that he had opened up more. He kept promising to "get into a subject later" but later never came. I was especially interested in learning about his struggle with clinical depression. He dangled the topic over your head like a carrot throughout the book but never really addressed the issue. At the conclusion the book, I skimmed back over the text to see if I had missed a chapter. I was disappointed but still enjoyed the book.
April 12, 2011
I listened to the audio version on a trip, and enjoyed all the various interviews Mike Wallace has done with all the high profile men and women of the time. Some of the interviews use the actual footage of the people involved, which was very interesting, like Frank Lloyd Wright, and Eleanor Roosevelt. There was also a DVD that showed clips of these interviews. This was an abridged version, but it didn't feel like it.
October 31, 2012
Mike Wallace was 88 when he wrote this book. It is mostly insights into interviews he had done over 50 years in television. There is some referral to the rest of his life but not in depth. He compares earlier interviews with some people with more recent ones, he covers some controversial ones and some personal favorites. The man loved his work and wanted to do nothing else. I learned some interesting things about events that I knew little about. The book includes an 82 minute DVD of interviews.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews