Cover Image: Chasing History

Chasing History

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Member Reviews

This book offered an intriguing look into a real live newsroom. Bernstein shares his young & hungry ambition to make it in the news arena. I found this book quite interesting. In addition to Bernstein’s eager ambition, his story parallels with significant historical events. Prior to this book, I mostly knew Carl Bernstein as one of the reporters who broke the Watergate scandal in the Nixon years. It was neat to read about his humble beginnings & his early start.

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A solid memoir from from a journalistic pioneer. Bernstein captures an era of old-school journalism in a way few could, having had a front-row seat to history and the some of the biggest stories that got us to today. An engaging read for history buffs and investigative journalism fans alike.

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A delightful memoir of the golden years of printed media. I had the privilege to work in a print newspaper some time ago and I always loved to listen to stories of my older colleagues about the era of typewriters, telexes, and pencil-marked galleys. And here is a similar story but told by one of the greatest journalists of all time, in a witty and engaging style. He is a great guide around this lost world, describing in detail the workings of the newsroom and the craft of getting a story in pre-internet times.

Highly recommended to anyone interested in journalism and the sociopolitical history of the US.

Thanks to the publisher, Henry Holt & Company, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

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If you were around when watergate took place or know about the history concerning watergate or a big fan of the movie All the Presidents Men you know that Carl Bernstein was part of the team that broke the story. This covers the time of Mr. Bernstein life of growing in and around Washington DC with main focus of his teenage years up to the time of being twenty-one you see that at times a juvenile delinquent in his own words. He was breaking into the newspaper business and in particular the Washington Evening Star a paper that printed 5 editions a day. This was at a time that racial discrimination was major issue, the election and passing of President Kennedy and the Vietnam war. This also was time that reporters had to make sure they had rolls of nickels and dimes with them to call in their stories. This book gives you a pretty good idea how they literally put a printed paper together. It was interesting to read that the printing business in the Washington DC was considered the biggest business in town with the Government Printing Office having seven thousand employees it was mentioned that this industry was the "Word Factory". Did you know that the printing industry in this area was notorious for employing a large number of hearing impaired individuals it one of the reasons may have been that Gallaudet College was right there. This was good book to read some give a look.

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My knowledge of Carl Bernstein prior to reading his book was his connection with Woodward and the book, later movie ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (which I have not read/ or watched - but soon will do both). I was a toddler when Watergate broke and have no personal recollection or knowledge. That being said, I was intrigued to hear Mr. Bernstein's back story and how he became a journalist.

I was fascinated by his dedication to journalism, for which he had great passion. I enjoyed reading about his first-hand accounts of rallies and gatherings. The way he described the news of Kennedy's assassination was powerful.

This was not a book I would have picked up at the library (or bookstore) to read, but I am so glad I was introduced to Mr. Bernstein through his own words and recollections.

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Masterfully written book by one of the great newspaper reporters of the 20th century that describes not only his formative years in the newspaper business but also the beginning of the end of what is a lost time when newspapers were American's chief source of news and information. Highly recommended, this book will be the book to which I compare all the other books I read this year.

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Chasing History by Carl Bernstein is scheduled to be published next week. It is not only a great biography that tells the story of a high school student who joined the Washington Star as a copyboy but also the history of what was happening in Washington, DC during the early 1960s. The story begins with Bernstein telling his story of a kid growing up in suburban Maryland, paying more attention to getting his foot in the door of the Star than getting his high school diploma much less thinking of college.
Bernstein joined the newsroom before reporters took on the role of celebrity or newsmaker. The book is laced with names of Washington notables, national politicians, and Washington stores and restaurants which are long gone.
The reader will find Chasing History an enjoyable and sometimes a lighthearted read and makes the reader think about how Bernstein made it to the big leagues of journalism. If you enjoy history or are interested in journalism, I highly recommend you read Chasing History!
Available January 11, 2022.

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If I had to pick one word to describe Carl Bernstein’s new memoir, #ChasingHistory, it would be “exhilarating “. There wasn’t a page in the book where I didn’t feel Bernstein’s exuberance in working for a newspaper and his sheer joy translates to a rousing reading experience . It starts with its subtitle, “ A Kid In The Newsroom “ , which more aptly describes the book you’re about to read. The story covers Mr. Bernstein’s first years in journalism', the early to mid plus sixties , of which there is plenty of history to chase. Beginning his journalism career at The Washington Evening Times when he’s only a junior in high school, Bernstein learns the newspaper business with such gusto it’s a joy to read. And the more you read', the more you realize that the book’s title refers not only to the history being made in the sixties, but just as importantly, because of twenty four hour news cycles and social media, the history of newspaper journalism and the way it used to be. Through his ups and downs, Mr Bernstein gives us an unbiased and joyous account of many of the events that turned him into the award winning journalist he became. By all means do yourself a favor and discover what #ChasingHistory means for one very talented exhilarated man .

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Carl Bernstein is best known as the crack Watergate reporter played by Dustin Hoffman in All the President’s Men. When you see a book about Bernstein, you immediately think Watergate. However, what he offers us in this autobiographical sketch is something other then Watergate. Rather, We Meet a young Carl a few years earlier, from his high school years at 16 through his newspaper apprenticeship as a copy boy and then a reporter until age 21 or roughly 1960 through 1965.

What we readers get is two things. First, we get a coming-of-age story of young Carl, bored with high school, and fascinated by the newspaper business back when we had real journalism. The story is how this young kid worked his way onto the reporting staff despite barely finishing high school and never finishing college. On the way, we learn firsthand about the newspaper business.

Secondly, by virtue of working at a newspaper in the nation’s capitol, Carl had a front-row seat to world-altering events from the launch of Sputnik to the electrifying voice of a young senator from Massachusetts, from the lunch counter civil rights sit-ins to the shocking demise of the young president. Few of us had teenage years so intimately entwined with the great events of the day.

Well-written, intriguing, and hard to put down, Bernstein’s autobiography limited as it is to a few exciting years is one you shouldn’t miss, particularly if you want to hear a firsthand perspective of the early years of the Sixties.

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An interesting read because not only is Bernstein's biography interesting and honest, but he also presents a history of newspaper reporting/production AND a history of Washington, DC, the city. More engaging than expected.

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Carl Bernstein is the storied partner of Bob Woodward, the Watergate investigative reporter. Bernstein tells his story of being a young journalist in Washington, DC, and all the old-time newspaperman he worked for. One would think that this would be a fascinating read, and a few sections are, such as his witnessing JFK's presidential election campaign stop at a suburban high school. However, a good deal of the book is taken up with rather mundane recountings of people and places Bernstein encounters over the years.

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