Time: 85 Years of Great Writing

by Christopher Porterfield (Editor)

To celebrate its 85th anniversary, "TIME" has collected many of the finest writings from the archives for this stunning volume, featuring pieces by such writers as James Agee, Waster Isaacson, and Bono. Includes 16-page photo insert.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science, Politics

560 pages, Hardcover

First published May 13, 2008

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always liked weekly news magazines for their coverage of current events, and now I find one makes a useful history book. All of the articles are excellent, with one exception: a bizarre fantasy story about the Yalta Conference by Whittaker Chambers. I find little reason for "Time" magazine to have published it in 1945, and no reason for it to be included “85 Years of Great Writing”.

[Sambasivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly U S centric. Found a few of them very interesting.

[Mike Hohrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful assortment of historical stories written by professionals who were on the ground. Anything from the rise of OPEC to the first hand account of a journalist taken prisoner by the Viet Cong. Great variety and depth.

[Michael Parcon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is an essential collection of articles from the pages of TIME magazine for the last 85 years. The editors have done an excellent job in compiling articles that showcase fragments of American history and the people who have made an impact on current events. From the success of the first Trans-Atlantic flight to the tragedy of the failed space mission, the excesses of the Roaring 20s to the scarcity of the Great Depression , the rise of Adolf Hitler to the descent of Richard Nixon, and the welcoming immigrant experience and the alienating advent of the computer. It serves as a measuring stick on which new writers must surpass or at least emulate past masters in this dizzying age of information explosion where the world has become a smaller place.
Today’s readers have become more critical of writers and vice-versa in this age of blogging and modern reporting. Writers can be a subject of ridicule if they don’t put their words and opinions checked. This book will serve as a window to look into the minds of the past masters who have essentially reported what they saw and what they felt that time. Overall, the book is an indispensible addition to our diminishing bookshelves since it was never released in electronic form.

[Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this collection of essays that span 85 years is like reading history as it happens - albeit from an American point of view. Want to read about Adolf Hitler and how he was regarded at that time? Check. Want to read about the excitement when the double helical nature of DNA was unravelled? Check. Want to recall the surreal image of the lone man defying a column of charging tanks in Tiananmen Square in Beijing? Check. Great reporting, great analysis and great writing converge in this treasury of news essays. This book is definitely a collectible!

[Nicolas Shump · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a sucker for this anthologies put out by various magazines, but this is a good one. Time may seem middle-brow, but over 85 years it has published a fair share of prominent writers and intellectuals. A book you can come back to and read in piece meal fashion too.

[Mrunmai Kulkarni · Rating 5 out of 5]

What to say? It is a collection of some of the best articles ever written, and that is what it is. Great to have all the world's knowledge of the entire century right in your hand.

[Bebe Burnside · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great collection of articles over the years. It was really fun to read some of the articles from the past and see what they thought the future would hold. If you like Time magazine, but haven't been around since the inception, then this is a great way to read some of the past.

[Manuel Araujo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una colección de artículos de 85 años de historia de la revista Time. Mi favorita.