An Especially Good View: Watching History Happen

by Peter L.W. Osnos

In more than five decades as a reporter, editor, and publisher, Peter Osnos has had an especially good view of momentous events and relationships with some of the most influential personalities of our time.

As a young journalist for I.F. Stone's Weekly, one of the leading publications of the turbulent 1960s, and in 18 years at The Washington Post, he covered the war in Vietnam and Cambodia, the Soviet Union at the height of Kremlin power, Washington D.C. as National Editor, "Swinging London" in the 60s, and Thatcher's Britain in the 1980s.

At Random House and the company he founded, PublicAffairs, he was responsible for books by four presidents: Carter, Clinton, Obama and Trump; celebrated Washington figures including Robert McNamara, House Speaker Tip O'Neill, and Vernon Jordan, first ladies Rosalynn Carter and Nancy Reagan, the billionaire George Soros, basketball superstars Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson, legendary spies, political dissidents, and writers Molly Ivins and Peggy Noonan, among many others.

In this unusually wide-ranging memoir, Osnos uses a reporter's skills to portray historic events and encounters beginning with his parents' extraordinary World War II experiences escaping Europe to India, where he was born, to the present day. He shares unique portraits of the famous people with whom he worked and an insider's perspective of the news and publishing businesses. As he charts the evolution of his career and recent history, he also explores the influence and impact of family, character, curiosity, luck, resilience, a well-pressed suit, and some unexpected wrinkles.

Genres: History, Memoir, Nonfiction, Journalism, Politics, Biography

400 pages, Hardcover

Published June 1, 2021

Reviews

[Carol Hoenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I found out that Peter Osnos had written a memoir, I put it at the top of my reading list. Granted, An Especially Good View: Watching History Happen, is a book that some readers wouldn’t have interest in, unless they appreciate journalism, history and the publishing industry. It so happens that I appreciate all three. Well, that, and the fact that Peter’s and my paths used to cross on occasion when I was the National Event Coordinator for Borders Books and based out of the Park Avenue, Manhattan location. Peter was the publisher of PublicAffairs titles and would often drop in to see how an author event I hosted was doing. At that time all I knew about Peter was that he was a respected publisher. It’s quite likely all he knew about me was that I was the young woman who introduced his author and made sure the signing that followed went smoothly. Now, after finishing his intriguing, page-turning book, I am astounded to read about his journey and all the impressive people with whom he worked. What was intriguing is the honesty and struggles that Peter dealt with…or admittedly didn’t prioritize.
The subtitle, Watching History Happen, makes perfect sense since Peter lived through many major events, from the Vietnam War to Watergate and so much more, events that we can now read about in some of those best-selling books he’s published over the years, including books by Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Tip O’Neill, Boris Yeltsin, Verdon Jordan, and many, many others.
When I first picked up the book, I skimmed through it, looking for photos and was disappointed that there weren’t any until I read on the jacket that the “book features a ‘virtual attic’ with more available at www.anespeciallygoodview.com.” Without a doubt, Peter has witnessed numerous changes in the publishing industry and the fact that readers can now click on the link to access a treasure trove of material is one of many. Either way, now that I’ve been on my own as a publishing consultant, (with a four-year stint as a bookstore owner on Long Island) I enjoyed reading about what once was even if I was only a distant spectator.

[Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

A more appropriate title: An Especially Bad Book. Osnos book mostly consists of a litany of famous people he's known in his life. And no index! So his intent is to make sure that everyone, all these famous people, have to read each and every page to get to their name.

[Elvaroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Osnos has experienced enough of life to fill four lifetimes of a normal human being. What an interesting life he has lived and I enjoyed every bit of his book. Reading about the time he spent with famous people as he edited and/or published their books was fascinating but what also was most interesting was "behind-the-scenes" info about monetary advances paid to authors, which books were best sellers (and number sold) and which books flopped (and number sold). I liked learning about what goes through a publisher's mind when considering whether to take on a certain book, and I liked the clarification about the difference between working as an "editor" and as a "publisher." I found Peter's book by first getting his son's book (Wildland: The Making of America's Fury by Evan Osnos). Amazing that father and son both released books in 2021. Peter appears to be a loving husband, father of two, and grandfather of five. His two children are super-achievers, just like Peter is. I hope that Peter might have time now that he has admittedly "slowed down" to write another book.

[Flowergarden24 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very detailed account of every step of the way that Osnos took during his career. I enjoyed the parts where he didn't talk about himself but gave insight into the famous people he interviewed and met. I skipped over the endless mentioned accounts of people who did every little thing (which Osnos suggested we might want to do in the preface). I appreciate the author's exciting, colorful and astute life but I didn't really enjoy reading all of these details. It was interesting to see how people get to high places through complicated turns, some calculated, some lucky, and some from being in the right place at the right time.

[Vannier · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable and remarkably honest behind the scenes book about both the print media and the publishing industries. Osnos doesn’t pretend to be greater than he is, he admits weaknesses and errors but helps us understand how the Washington Post covered events of worldwide importance. Reading this book is like being invited to an Osnos family dinner where the author tells his grandchildren what his life was like and what wars, peace and editing presidents looked like. You will enjoy it all.

[George Girton · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an editor, Peter Osnos not only edited the Talmud (seriously!) but also saved Jimmy an Rosalynn Carter's marriage with one simple piece of advice on how to write a book together. I also enjoyed the book because it described family life in the fifties ... the kinds of things people did for enjoyment, what they listened to, and so forth. Osnos also makes vital observations about his struggles dealing with depression.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Osnos reflects on an eventful career. I knew Peter as a fellow member of Human Rights Watch board, as a publisher of my books, and a friend. I got to know him much better in this sweeping and candid portrait of his life.

[Diehljk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and valuable account of life as a foreign correspondent in Vietnam in the early 70s and Moscow in the mid-70s, plus the story of how Trump published The Art of the Deal.