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Communications and Media Studies
Murrow: His Life and Times
A portrait of one of the preeminent journalists of the twentieth century traces Edward R. Murrow's beginnings in the South, follows him during the Depression, and chronicles his rise during World War II
795 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1986
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June 1, 2019
Edward R. Murrow was one of the pioneers of news broadcasting, first on radio and then on the brand-new medium of television. He pre-dates (slightly) Walter Cronkite, which should tell you quite a bit right there. Now, he is a dim figure of the past, with few people remembering who he was or why he was so important throughout the 1940s and 1950s. A.M. Sperber, in this long but incredibly interesting work, brings Murrow back to life, complete with the context of the times in which he lived.
Unlike many biographies of famous figures, Sperber takes the time to explain Murrow's family roots and heritage, tracing how a sense of being radical (as in willing to stand up to the prevailing point of view) was passed down to Murrow from his great-grandfather and grandfather. Murrow, though born a Southerner, grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and worked on logging crews in Washington as a teenager. He had a knack for debating a way with words. Almost by chance he caught on with organizations involved in foreign affairs right after college, eventually moving to New York. I got the sense that Murrow, at this point in his life, did not really know which direction he was going and did not seem to have a particular path thought out. Certainly he had not studied nor trained to be a journalist or commentator. He was able to successfully transition into broadcasting with the still-nascent Columbia Broadcasting System in 1934. He did not hire on as a radio broadcaster or reporter, but he quickly gravitated to that area.
Murrow made a name for himself in WWII with his nightly broadcasts from London, describing the German air raids and bombings of the city to Americans on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Murrow's tone and inflection engaged listeners, making him somewhat of a war-time celebrity. He broadcast throughout the war, often going on flying missions into France. Murrow did this so much that he drew the ire of CBS management, including its founder William Paley, who was a personal friend of Murrow's. Murrow would repeat this during the Korean War. Once WWII was over, he returned to New York, went into an executive role, hated it, got back out of it to stay the network's star reporter and commentator, but also sat on the Board. In effect, he tried to straddle an almost impossible fence, and eventually he did resign his seat on the Board.
Murrow, if he is thought of it all now, is remembered for his pioneering efforts at hard-hitting television news. His immensely successful See It Now program ran for many years and cleaned up yearly at awards shows. Murrow tackled highly contentious subjects, none more so than the Joseph McCarthy Communist witch hunts that sadly gained so much currency in the early and mid 50s. Murrow took McCarthy on directly, and while his exposing of the demagogic Senator helped cast him as the bully that he was, Murrow took a body blow as well, with CBS ultimately attempting to distance itself from Murrow. The network wanted to play it safe, and Murrow was never about that. This led to a long decline in authority and influence for Murrow, eventually driving him out of the broadcast business.
Sperber does superb work here. She is eminently fair to Murrow, pointing out his flaws and his virtues as they surfaced. Her goal of writing a comprehensive and educated biography of Murrow has been achieved. She delves into Murrow's professional and personal relationships (sadly, the man seemed to have very few of the latter – most of his friends were from CBS or other news organizations, and while he did a lot entertaining, he seemed to be a man who played things close to his vest). Murrow had a lot of authority and influence at CBS, thanks in no small part to his friendship with Paley (although that steadily eroded over time, and basically came to an end after an inflammatory speech that Murrow gave in October 1958 in Chicago, chastising the television networks for squandering their opportunity to make society a better and more educated place). Cronkite is the only other one broadcaster who immediately comes to mind as far as having the gravitas to say things that others would not dare.
Unfortunately, Murrow did not live to old age, dying at 57. If there is a positive aspect of this, from the perspective of the book, it is that Sperber was able to interview scores of Murrow's associates as many of them were still alive (this book having been written in the 1980s). And with Murrow having already passed, you definitely get the feeling that quite a few of them felt free to talk about things long since past. The portrait that emerges is one of a man who could never relax, could never let his guard down, was plagued his entire life by insomnia, relentlessly smoked unfiltered Camel cigarettes, and drove the life out of his body rather early. It is also the portrait of a profoundly sad man. He seemed to have no intimates, not even his wife Janet (if I do have one thing that I would have liked to have seen more of, it would be that Janet did not seem to be a major player here, especially after WWII ended). Also, at the peak of his profession, he was already beginning to wear down, the constant battles with politicians, upper management, and sponsors taking its toll and sapping his waning enthusiasm. He seemed in one sense to be a profoundly moral man, on a societal level, yet also indulged in extramarital affairs. He was, in some ways, a victim of his own success. People such as Frank Stanton, the President of CBS, viewed him as a rival and a constant thorn that he had to deal with, and sometimes worked to undermine him. With his hard-hitting reporting and tell-it-like-it-is commentary (both on radio and TV), he made quite a few enemies in high places. Once it became clear that CBS was not really backing him, he became a more frequent punching bag for people such as McCarthy or others in the news media.
The final part details Murrow's time as Director of USIA for John F. Kennedy. Murrow seemed enthusiastic about the career transition, but by this time his health was really beginning to fail him. All those years of smoking three packs of Camels daily had destroyed his lungs and sapped his energy. Indeed, the pall of lung cancer seems to hang over the latter half of the book, although Murrow was not officially diagnosed with it until just a few years before he died. It does make the book seem on the melancholy side; it's like watching a train wreck in slow motion as Murrow deteriorates and continues to be racked by binges of constant coughing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book: the writing is vibrant, the amount of details and anecdotes providing a full picture of Murrow's professional and private lives. While the end was bittersweet, Murrow lived an amazing life: seeing so many different things and places, meeting so many people, and influencing a great many more, that to dwell on his final days misses the overall impact that he had throughout his life.
Grade: A
Unlike many biographies of famous figures, Sperber takes the time to explain Murrow's family roots and heritage, tracing how a sense of being radical (as in willing to stand up to the prevailing point of view) was passed down to Murrow from his great-grandfather and grandfather. Murrow, though born a Southerner, grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and worked on logging crews in Washington as a teenager. He had a knack for debating a way with words. Almost by chance he caught on with organizations involved in foreign affairs right after college, eventually moving to New York. I got the sense that Murrow, at this point in his life, did not really know which direction he was going and did not seem to have a particular path thought out. Certainly he had not studied nor trained to be a journalist or commentator. He was able to successfully transition into broadcasting with the still-nascent Columbia Broadcasting System in 1934. He did not hire on as a radio broadcaster or reporter, but he quickly gravitated to that area.
Murrow made a name for himself in WWII with his nightly broadcasts from London, describing the German air raids and bombings of the city to Americans on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Murrow's tone and inflection engaged listeners, making him somewhat of a war-time celebrity. He broadcast throughout the war, often going on flying missions into France. Murrow did this so much that he drew the ire of CBS management, including its founder William Paley, who was a personal friend of Murrow's. Murrow would repeat this during the Korean War. Once WWII was over, he returned to New York, went into an executive role, hated it, got back out of it to stay the network's star reporter and commentator, but also sat on the Board. In effect, he tried to straddle an almost impossible fence, and eventually he did resign his seat on the Board.
Murrow, if he is thought of it all now, is remembered for his pioneering efforts at hard-hitting television news. His immensely successful See It Now program ran for many years and cleaned up yearly at awards shows. Murrow tackled highly contentious subjects, none more so than the Joseph McCarthy Communist witch hunts that sadly gained so much currency in the early and mid 50s. Murrow took McCarthy on directly, and while his exposing of the demagogic Senator helped cast him as the bully that he was, Murrow took a body blow as well, with CBS ultimately attempting to distance itself from Murrow. The network wanted to play it safe, and Murrow was never about that. This led to a long decline in authority and influence for Murrow, eventually driving him out of the broadcast business.
Sperber does superb work here. She is eminently fair to Murrow, pointing out his flaws and his virtues as they surfaced. Her goal of writing a comprehensive and educated biography of Murrow has been achieved. She delves into Murrow's professional and personal relationships (sadly, the man seemed to have very few of the latter – most of his friends were from CBS or other news organizations, and while he did a lot entertaining, he seemed to be a man who played things close to his vest). Murrow had a lot of authority and influence at CBS, thanks in no small part to his friendship with Paley (although that steadily eroded over time, and basically came to an end after an inflammatory speech that Murrow gave in October 1958 in Chicago, chastising the television networks for squandering their opportunity to make society a better and more educated place). Cronkite is the only other one broadcaster who immediately comes to mind as far as having the gravitas to say things that others would not dare.
Unfortunately, Murrow did not live to old age, dying at 57. If there is a positive aspect of this, from the perspective of the book, it is that Sperber was able to interview scores of Murrow's associates as many of them were still alive (this book having been written in the 1980s). And with Murrow having already passed, you definitely get the feeling that quite a few of them felt free to talk about things long since past. The portrait that emerges is one of a man who could never relax, could never let his guard down, was plagued his entire life by insomnia, relentlessly smoked unfiltered Camel cigarettes, and drove the life out of his body rather early. It is also the portrait of a profoundly sad man. He seemed to have no intimates, not even his wife Janet (if I do have one thing that I would have liked to have seen more of, it would be that Janet did not seem to be a major player here, especially after WWII ended). Also, at the peak of his profession, he was already beginning to wear down, the constant battles with politicians, upper management, and sponsors taking its toll and sapping his waning enthusiasm. He seemed in one sense to be a profoundly moral man, on a societal level, yet also indulged in extramarital affairs. He was, in some ways, a victim of his own success. People such as Frank Stanton, the President of CBS, viewed him as a rival and a constant thorn that he had to deal with, and sometimes worked to undermine him. With his hard-hitting reporting and tell-it-like-it-is commentary (both on radio and TV), he made quite a few enemies in high places. Once it became clear that CBS was not really backing him, he became a more frequent punching bag for people such as McCarthy or others in the news media.
The final part details Murrow's time as Director of USIA for John F. Kennedy. Murrow seemed enthusiastic about the career transition, but by this time his health was really beginning to fail him. All those years of smoking three packs of Camels daily had destroyed his lungs and sapped his energy. Indeed, the pall of lung cancer seems to hang over the latter half of the book, although Murrow was not officially diagnosed with it until just a few years before he died. It does make the book seem on the melancholy side; it's like watching a train wreck in slow motion as Murrow deteriorates and continues to be racked by binges of constant coughing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book: the writing is vibrant, the amount of details and anecdotes providing a full picture of Murrow's professional and private lives. While the end was bittersweet, Murrow lived an amazing life: seeing so many different things and places, meeting so many people, and influencing a great many more, that to dwell on his final days misses the overall impact that he had throughout his life.
Grade: A
July 29, 2016
Aside from vague memories of seeing Murrow on television in the fifties, my knowledge of Murrow didn’t extend beyond his broadcasting from London during the blitz and his later conflicts with Senator Joseph McCarthy. I now realize that those were just a couple of highlights in a long and very influential career in radio and television news as well as serving in the Kennedy administration.
Sperber clearly did a ton of research, and takes pains to be balanced – for instance, when witnesses or participants have conflicting memories of an event she’ll give both versions. Nonetheless, you never have trouble recognizing when she really doesn’t like specific people in the story – they bring out her snarky side.
All in all, a great biography of a key figure in the development of network news reporting.
Sperber clearly did a ton of research, and takes pains to be balanced – for instance, when witnesses or participants have conflicting memories of an event she’ll give both versions. Nonetheless, you never have trouble recognizing when she really doesn’t like specific people in the story – they bring out her snarky side.
All in all, a great biography of a key figure in the development of network news reporting.
January 20, 2011
A solid, well-researched book. I've been familiar with Edward R. Murrow for most of my life, but never really knew the details of his career. (He died when I was a toddler.) The book was fairly dense; in a good way during the more interesting parts, which for me was primarily the time in London during WWII, but also the period when Murrow took on Senator McCarthy. But at other points the amount of detail kind of slowed me down.
July 13, 2025
"Every people has the right to live under the form of government it selects for itself.
...But it is reasonable to deplore an action anywhere that may be absolutely destructive of gains in
human progress that have been made only at great sacrifice ... It is everywhere incumbent upon
university faculties ... to be alive to the dangers which threaten them and by a declaration of faith to
arrange themselves on the side of freedom of speech and freedom of teaching."
Edward R. Murrow 1933
"It is said that we are the best informed nation on earth. I do not know about that, but I do know that we have access to more information than any other people. There is a difference."
Edward R. Murrow 1947
" We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men — not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular. This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy's methods to keep silent, or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result. There is no way for a citizen of a republic to abdicate his responsibilities. As a nation we have come into our full inheritance at a tender age. We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. The actions of the junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad, and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn't create this situation of fear; he merely exploited it — and rather successfully. Cassius was right. "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves." Good night, and good luck."
Edward R. Murrow 1954
“The right of dissent, or, if you prefer, the right to be wrong, is surely fundamental to the existence of a democratic society. That’s the right that went first in every nation that stumbled down the trail toward totalitarianism.”
Edward R. Murrow 1960
Although occasionally it reads as overlong when characters and situations are confused and/or lacking context this well researched book is a biography that is fascinating and important in its immediacy in re WWII and the events leading up to the declaration of war and the London blitz; the behind the scenes infighting that lead to the creation of CBS news (both radio and television); the Red Scare and the McCarthy hearings; the Kennedy era and the beginnings of the Viet Nam war debacle. A hell of a man. A hell of an era. And still, oh so relevant, today.
...But it is reasonable to deplore an action anywhere that may be absolutely destructive of gains in
human progress that have been made only at great sacrifice ... It is everywhere incumbent upon
university faculties ... to be alive to the dangers which threaten them and by a declaration of faith to
arrange themselves on the side of freedom of speech and freedom of teaching."
Edward R. Murrow 1933
"It is said that we are the best informed nation on earth. I do not know about that, but I do know that we have access to more information than any other people. There is a difference."
Edward R. Murrow 1947
" We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men — not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular. This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy's methods to keep silent, or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result. There is no way for a citizen of a republic to abdicate his responsibilities. As a nation we have come into our full inheritance at a tender age. We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. The actions of the junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad, and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn't create this situation of fear; he merely exploited it — and rather successfully. Cassius was right. "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves." Good night, and good luck."
Edward R. Murrow 1954
“The right of dissent, or, if you prefer, the right to be wrong, is surely fundamental to the existence of a democratic society. That’s the right that went first in every nation that stumbled down the trail toward totalitarianism.”
Edward R. Murrow 1960
Although occasionally it reads as overlong when characters and situations are confused and/or lacking context this well researched book is a biography that is fascinating and important in its immediacy in re WWII and the events leading up to the declaration of war and the London blitz; the behind the scenes infighting that lead to the creation of CBS news (both radio and television); the Red Scare and the McCarthy hearings; the Kennedy era and the beginnings of the Viet Nam war debacle. A hell of a man. A hell of an era. And still, oh so relevant, today.
April 19, 2017
The prologue to Murrow: His Life and Times begins with Murrow’s famous 1958 speech at the Radio-Television News Directors Association. It’s a speech that, if it was original at the time, has been the theme of journalism’s insiders ever since. The same arguments still are made today, and it seems as though there are no solutions.
Amazing the difference between press rights then and now. Murrow and the other networks had to request permission to broadcast live reports from in the city during bombings. Because they had to borrow BBC radio facilities to transmit, and the BBC was run by the British government, the censors could easily enforce their bans.
He was in the White House the day The Japanese bombed Hawaii. He stood on a rooftop in London as the bombs fell. He walked Buchenwald after it was freed but before it was emptied. He watched the Nazis and then the communists kill he friends in the intelligentsia. He was in Berlin when the wall went up. He was there when McCarthy fell. He ran the United States Information Agency as Kennedy ramps up the war in Vietnam.
He was a television pioneer who feared television, a friend to socialists but who feared communism, a government official who feared government. It takes a lot of pages to cover that kind of powerful personality, and Ann Sperber gives him over 700 in the hardback version. If you are interested in Murrow, or the history of television news, or the history of the United States, I think you will enjoy slogging through this tome.
Amazing the difference between press rights then and now. Murrow and the other networks had to request permission to broadcast live reports from in the city during bombings. Because they had to borrow BBC radio facilities to transmit, and the BBC was run by the British government, the censors could easily enforce their bans.
We are told today that the Germans believe Londoners will rise up and demand a new government, one that will make peace with Germany. It’s more likely that they’ll rise up and murder a few German pilots who came down by parachute. The life of a parachutist would not be worth much in the East End of London tonight…
He was in the White House the day The Japanese bombed Hawaii. He stood on a rooftop in London as the bombs fell. He walked Buchenwald after it was freed but before it was emptied. He watched the Nazis and then the communists kill he friends in the intelligentsia. He was in Berlin when the wall went up. He was there when McCarthy fell. He ran the United States Information Agency as Kennedy ramps up the war in Vietnam.
He was a television pioneer who feared television, a friend to socialists but who feared communism, a government official who feared government. It takes a lot of pages to cover that kind of powerful personality, and Ann Sperber gives him over 700 in the hardback version. If you are interested in Murrow, or the history of television news, or the history of the United States, I think you will enjoy slogging through this tome.
April 26, 2012
Wow! I enjoyed the heck out of this book. It's not the easiest read. Painstakingly detailed. A great biography of Murrow as well as a great view of America in the 20th century. Especially engaging are the chapters covering pre-World War II and the early 50's- Korea and the McCarthy era. Murrow was the only guy to confront McCarthy when everyone else was running scared of him. Murrow defined journalism in the 20th century. He was not a talent. He was a journalist. We need more like him. He laid the ground rules for public service broadcasting and public TV/radio. I just recently finished a biography on Vince Lombardi. Both Murrow and Lombardi were public figures during the 40's, 50's and 60's. I'm thinking Murrow had a greater impact.
I especially love the following Murrow quote. Unfortunately, I'm thinking what Murrow warned against is coming true. We may have already lost "real... democracy" in our country.
"There can be no real... democracy unless the people understand the basic political, social and economic issues upon which their welfare depends...
If a deceived or confused public is betrayed into creating or allowing to be created an America in which it loses faith, democracy will not survive... If the people finally come to believe either that they cannot grasp or they cannot cope with America's problems, or that those who inform.. and those who act are inept or malign or both, then distrust, dissatisfaction, fear and laziness can combine to turn them to desperation to that "strong man" who can take them only to destruction...
There are many faint-hearted students of the American scene... The more the pattern of information contrives to be confused, distorted and manipulated, the more likely are these prophets to be right."
I especially love the following Murrow quote. Unfortunately, I'm thinking what Murrow warned against is coming true. We may have already lost "real... democracy" in our country.
"There can be no real... democracy unless the people understand the basic political, social and economic issues upon which their welfare depends...
If a deceived or confused public is betrayed into creating or allowing to be created an America in which it loses faith, democracy will not survive... If the people finally come to believe either that they cannot grasp or they cannot cope with America's problems, or that those who inform.. and those who act are inept or malign or both, then distrust, dissatisfaction, fear and laziness can combine to turn them to desperation to that "strong man" who can take them only to destruction...
There are many faint-hearted students of the American scene... The more the pattern of information contrives to be confused, distorted and manipulated, the more likely are these prophets to be right."
May 30, 2012
A.M. Sperber's biography of Edward R. Murrow is exhaustive. At almost 800 pages, Sperber's ten years of research details the events of Murrow's life from his days as the youngest son of a poor, hardscrabble family through his years in radio, television and, finally, as part of the Kennedy administration.
By Sperber's own admission -- and those of the people who knew Murrow -- he was a very private man whom many knew of but few really knew well. Murrow was guarded with his emotions, unless it was anger and/or frustration with the powers-that-be or social injustice.
Murrow was a workaholic, driven to put a human face on events and to educate his countrymen to the important issues of their day. The best sense of Murrow as a human being is limited to his words as a broadcaster and letter-writer. Through those, the reader gets an idea of the things that mattered the most to him.
By Sperber's own admission -- and those of the people who knew Murrow -- he was a very private man whom many knew of but few really knew well. Murrow was guarded with his emotions, unless it was anger and/or frustration with the powers-that-be or social injustice.
Murrow was a workaholic, driven to put a human face on events and to educate his countrymen to the important issues of their day. The best sense of Murrow as a human being is limited to his words as a broadcaster and letter-writer. Through those, the reader gets an idea of the things that mattered the most to him.
February 12, 2018
A fascinating look at an American legend. He was the voice CBS radio. He was the face of CBS television. A correspondent superstar. From his pre-WWII coverage to his eventual acceptance of a post in the Kennedy administration he dealt with poor health and, bizarrely, shyness. He covered innumerable events, The Blitz, William Shirer, the McCarthy Era and his eventual fall at CBS were some of the most interesting and extensively covered areas of the book. He's the type of reporter, the type of person, who fought for those without power and fought for what he thought was right, something he seemed to identify better than most. He saw problems in the world and did what he could to bring those problems to the attention of American public, unfortunately, the American public was immersed in the quiz show craze.
November 28, 2007
Quite simply, the best biography I have read in years. Thoroughly researched and absolutely accessible. After all, when you invent your own job and then witness the creation of an entire industry because of your actions, as Edward R. Murrow did, that's the stuff of legend.
April 27, 2023
This biography of a very interesting man manages to be tedious. Overall, just not well-written. I got rid of my copy, and there are those among my near-and-dear who would tell you I never turn loose of any book! (Not true, of course -- this is an example).
June 13, 2016
Not as good as Caro on Robert Moses or Caro on LBJ...but very good.
February 7, 2019
A brilliant, insightful, and brave man, from the day’s when journalists and reporters were real. I highly recommend it.
December 29, 2021
I was born in 1941 and much of this book is fascinating history. However, this book is as relevant today as when it was written. I have stopped watching television, and seriously reading the content
in the myopic local paper. Thank God for the Epoch Times. What the media share is for the most part garbage. It panders to the lowest common denominator., for example, quiz programs and comedy, and blocks any opposing views on social media.
The battles that Edward R Murrow fought have been lost in the media quest for ratings and corporate sponsorship. Is it any surprise that the major tech industries have cornered one-sided liberal far-left propaganda, and blocked any information opposed to this? is it any surprise that most of our youth have no clue of what major issues confront our Country and the world? I assure those reading my comments to get this book and open your mind to the education that you receive.
in the myopic local paper. Thank God for the Epoch Times. What the media share is for the most part garbage. It panders to the lowest common denominator., for example, quiz programs and comedy, and blocks any opposing views on social media.
The battles that Edward R Murrow fought have been lost in the media quest for ratings and corporate sponsorship. Is it any surprise that the major tech industries have cornered one-sided liberal far-left propaganda, and blocked any information opposed to this? is it any surprise that most of our youth have no clue of what major issues confront our Country and the world? I assure those reading my comments to get this book and open your mind to the education that you receive.
July 1, 2022
It took me a while to read this, not out of any problems with the book itself, but because it is so richly packed with detail about one of my heroes. Having finished it, I am in awe of Sperber's work, and even deeper in thrall to Murrow. Best known, surely, for his wartime reporting from London, it's his time following the war, and even following his battles with Joe McCarthy, that stick with me. Murrow saw it all coming, the way commerce would swallow journalism whole, TV too powerful a medium for selling to let it remain a vehicle for telling.
Sperber wrote a masterpiece here, a deeply-reported look at one of the great journ...no, one of the great Americans...in our nation's history. Murrow died nearly 60 years ago, and the number of people who remember his work dwindles by the day. This book will hopefully keep him alive for generations of journalists to come.
Sperber wrote a masterpiece here, a deeply-reported look at one of the great journ...no, one of the great Americans...in our nation's history. Murrow died nearly 60 years ago, and the number of people who remember his work dwindles by the day. This book will hopefully keep him alive for generations of journalists to come.
November 3, 2021
well I now know alot about his work but not much about him, bore, too much day to dat details of little interest
September 17, 2018
This book is exhaustive and exhausting! There is a lot of detail, but the book is not cohesive and lacks a thesis. I slogged, skipped, and skimmed and did not enjoy it at all. I only gave it two stars because Sperber did an incredible amount of research!
August 5, 2007
Unbelievably detailed account of Murrow and his heroic stand against McCarthy.
Read
July 31, 200892M
August 21, 2009
One of the best biographies ever written.
Read
July 28, 2011Murrow is one of my childhood heroes. I enjoyed reading this.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews