I Remember: Growing Up in Texas

by Dan Rather, Peter Wyden

The anchorman recounts his childhood in Texas, revealing his youthful ambitions and reminiscing about small town life in pre-World War II America

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History

Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

With a famed and storied career that has spanned more than six decades, Dan Rather has earned his place as one of the world’s best-known journalists. He has interviewed every president since Eisenhower and, over that time, personally covered almost every important dateline in the United States and around the world. Rather joined CBS News in 1962. He quickly rose through the ranks, and in 1981 he assumed the position of Anchor and Managing Editor of the CBS Evening News—a post he held for twenty-four years. His reporting across the network helped turn 60 Minutes into an institution, launched 48 Hours as an innovative news magazine program, and shaped countless specials and documentaries. Upon leaving CBS, Rather returned to the in-depth reporting he always loved, creating the Emmy Award winning Dan Rather Reports on HDNet. Now, building upon that foundation, he is president and CEO of News and Guts, an independent production company he founded that specializes in high-quality nonfiction content across a range of traditional and digital distribution channels.

Reviews

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by this autobiographical piece about retired CBS anchorman Dan Rather. I guess it is because that even when you try not to stereotype someone because of perceptions, some get by your attempts. Because Mr. Rather was an anchor for nightly news out of New York, I always conceived him as most in the national news arena as reactionary, liberal and a preoccupied as a ruthless competitor in the fight for his position. If you pay attention to the words of this story Rather grew up as a Texan in the depression starting in the newspaper business as a paper boy fighting on street corners for his turf. His strong memories are of a sound unpredjudiced family, being raised in the Baptist church with quaint little values like hard work and fair play. His strongest memories were of Pearl Harbor, his lower middle class neighborhood, his humble beginnings, World War II and his family. I make no judgement on any of this or his values, but it was not the background expected of one that attained his stature and position in life. So I will start over and remove my embarrasing stereotype that Rather grew up rich, in private schools in New England and that his father got his son into CBS upon graduation as Executive Vice President in charge of paperboys. Sometimes it is pleasant to be wrong.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought and read this book because I grew up four blocks from the Rather family home in the Heights section of Houston and was a classmate of his younger brother, Don. I certainly didn't do it because I have anything in common with Dan. It is an autobiography of his early years. I enjoyed it because I was
familiar with the area and knew some of the people.

[Daniel Currie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the 2 tape audiobook version. This is simply about Dan Rathers pre-fame days. The story could be of anyone. Still, it is an interesting listen as he tells of his childhood during the depression.

[Paula Dembeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this autobiography written with Peter Wyden, Dan Rather describes his early childhood growing up during the years of the Depression and World War II. Born in 1931 in Huston Texas, his family lived on the wrong side of the bayou, but his father had a steady full-time job working on the pipeline, so although there was not money for extras, they always had the basic necessities. He describes the large extended and supportive family that surrounded him and remembers them with affection. He speaks about the long year he spent in bed trying to recover from rheumatic fever at a time when bedrest was the only option for treatment. That prolonged illness and recovery ruined any dreams he had of becoming a football star.

His parents encouraged him to stay in school, which he did, but it was glimpses of the wider world and faraway places with strange sounding names that first attracted him to the possibility of becoming a foreign new correspondent. This was the era before television, when print media and radio were the main source of the news.

The narrative takes an anecdotal episodic approach to his early life, describing in a warm, almost folksy manner events with schoolmates, friends and relatives. The writing style is simple conversational prose, delivered in a warm nostalgic style as if Rather was sharing a cup coffee with the reader while both are settled in comfortable chairs.

The book ends with Rather leaving home to enter The Sam Huston Teacher’s College in Huntsville Texas, taking readers just up to that time in his life. Rather followed it by several other books, detailing his long career in media. It was a childhood which by most of his accounting here, was happy.

It was an interesting read, but not memorable.

[Sandra Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating details of his life growing up during the Depression and World War II. Some attitudes are outdated to be sure, but, writing thirty years ago, he couldn't have known how our knowledge and attitudes would evolve

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of tales of Rather's youth. It comes off as snapshots.

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the books I listened to while I was going through every audio book the library had. It evidently wasn't very popular because to list it here I had a hard time finding it. I didn't realize Dan Rather had written so many historical books.

audio book