What do you think?
Rate this book
Chasing Catastrophe: My 35 Years Covering Wars, Hurricanes, Terror Attacks, and Other Breaking News
As seen on Fox and Friends
From the front lines in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and other conflict zones to the base of the burning Twin Towers on 9/11 to the eye of countless hurricanes, Rick Leventhal chronicles some of the most amazing stories he’s covered in his thirty-five years as a news reporter, anchor, and Senior Correspondent—with some life lessons thrown in along the way.
Part memoir and part leadership manifesto, Chasing Catastrophe empowers those who are ready to work hard to overcome adversity and achieve their goals. In this book, Rick Leventhal shares some incredible highlights and some of the most challenging moments of a career spanning thirty-five years.
Rick shares what it was like to sleep in the dirt in the Iraqi desert; to stand at the base of the Twin Towers in flames and run from the smoke cloud when they fell; to face a Category 5 hurricane; to be on scene when one of America’s most cheered and respected race car drivers crashed and died; to hurry to the frozen Hudson River from Midtown after Captain Sully landed his plane on its icy surface; to separate fact from fiction on the fly and figure out what could be reported—and what couldn’t; and to be in awe meeting some of the most famous people in America, only to learn they were fans of his work.
From the front lines in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and other conflict zones to the base of the burning Twin Towers on 9/11 to the eye of countless hurricanes, Rick Leventhal chronicles some of the most amazing stories he’s covered in his thirty-five years as a news reporter, anchor, and Senior Correspondent—with some life lessons thrown in along the way.
Part memoir and part leadership manifesto, Chasing Catastrophe empowers those who are ready to work hard to overcome adversity and achieve their goals. In this book, Rick Leventhal shares some incredible highlights and some of the most challenging moments of a career spanning thirty-five years.
Rick shares what it was like to sleep in the dirt in the Iraqi desert; to stand at the base of the Twin Towers in flames and run from the smoke cloud when they fell; to face a Category 5 hurricane; to be on scene when one of America’s most cheered and respected race car drivers crashed and died; to hurry to the frozen Hudson River from Midtown after Captain Sully landed his plane on its icy surface; to separate fact from fiction on the fly and figure out what could be reported—and what couldn’t; and to be in awe meeting some of the most famous people in America, only to learn they were fans of his work.
- GenresNonfictionMemoir
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 24, 2023
28 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 7, 2023
Chasing Catastrophe: My 35 Years Covering Wars, Hurricanes, Terror Attacks, and Other Breaking News started off with a bang. It opened up with Rick Leventhal's live reporting on the morning of 9/11. It was gripping, heartbreaking, and astounding.
I was looking forward to his firsthand reporting accounts of hurricanes, wars, and other disasters.
Right after the 9/11 coverage, he shared that he broke the news that Hillary Clinton stumbled off a curb while leaving a 9/11 anniversary event and he learned she had been diagnosed with pneumonia three days earlier but the media did not know about her health issue. He had the scoop and broke the news since she was running for President.
It is hard for me to envision that Hillary Clinton having pneumonia rates as a catastrophe or should even be included in a book that covers Afghanistan, Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, etc.
The book continued to go downhill from there as Leventhal described dropping out of college, getting hired at a remote television station, having to haul gear in his own car when the television station's cars were inoperable, etc.
It was a DNF for me.
I was looking forward to his firsthand reporting accounts of hurricanes, wars, and other disasters.
Right after the 9/11 coverage, he shared that he broke the news that Hillary Clinton stumbled off a curb while leaving a 9/11 anniversary event and he learned she had been diagnosed with pneumonia three days earlier but the media did not know about her health issue. He had the scoop and broke the news since she was running for President.
It is hard for me to envision that Hillary Clinton having pneumonia rates as a catastrophe or should even be included in a book that covers Afghanistan, Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, etc.
The book continued to go downhill from there as Leventhal described dropping out of college, getting hired at a remote television station, having to haul gear in his own car when the television station's cars were inoperable, etc.
It was a DNF for me.
July 24, 2023
I was unfamiliar with this reporter, but when I saw the title and summary at the library, I thought it would give a different perspective of the overall timespan of the past 35 years. I managed to get halfway through the book, hoping it would get better, but finally called it quits. My expectation was to see the story through the journalist eyes, and there was some of that, but it was the constant interjection of himself into the storyline that was irritating, (and came across as arrogant). From his claim to fame on the release of a twitter "news piece" without 2 source confirmation, to the pushing for a change of assignments with another reporter in the war zone, "to get to the exciting part of the war" yet missing out on a key aspect of prisoner/hostage rescue, I closed the book at that point. This was a good pat on his back, versus the men and women that truly were in the line of fire.
March 24, 2023
Very exciting and fun. I didn’t even care that the author sounded quite full of himself, it was such good story telling regardless.
June 19, 2023
A very interesting read despite Rick being a little full of himself and a bit entitled.
December 13, 2024
This author is somewhat of a blowhard and a name dropper.
August 19, 2023
Over the years, starting during my time in South Florida, I've watched Rick Leventhal cover hurricanes, wars, and other disasters. Getting a look at this reporter's life behind the scenes was entertaining and something shocking, especially the time he spent embedded with the military in the Iraq invasion after 9/11. Getting to know Rick better was a nice change from my usual fiction reads.
September 12, 2023
I'm not the biggest fan of partisan news, so I had no idea who Rick Leventhal was. I basically came b/c I wanted to read the part about chasing hurricanes, which was good. The rest was interesting too, even if I didn't agree with everything he said.
April 19, 2023
Great Read Rick
While reading through the chapters my memory of some of the places and events were real to me……Iraq and Katrina are a part of my life I won’t forget…….Thanks Rick!
While reading through the chapters my memory of some of the places and events were real to me……Iraq and Katrina are a part of my life I won’t forget…….Thanks Rick!
August 10, 2023
A must read for students of contemporary media relations in America. "Chasing" is an excellent close up of our country's most dramatic events of the past few decades. Rick Leventhal writes, as he reported, with an integrity and transparency that made him one of our nation's best correspondents and friend to all those on the front lines. Throughout the book, he powerfully documents and comments on the many scenes of chaos and tragedy including witness reactions, leadership and professional decisions and actions, and his own successes and stumbles. I thoroughly enjoyed each compelling story of this memoir and particularly the insider view of those making history. I hope there is a sequel.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews