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Dispatches from the Edge

By: Anderson Cooper
Narrated by: Anderson Cooper
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Editorial reviews

Anderson Cooper has a pleasant, distinctive, and recognizable voice, but that's not the reason he's effective as the narrator of this memoir of war, disasters, and survival. The book is a compelling listen because Cooper is a talented writer, filling his text with riveting images and compelling phrases. The images speak for themselves. But Cooper's narration is not without energy and emotion. He parcels them out, using them for effect at just the right moments. Cooper moves effectively between reporting on the cataclysmic events of (from the tsunami through Hurricane Katrina) and reflecting on his childhood and early professional career. The audio concludes with an interesting interview with the author.

Publisher's summary

Few people have witnessed more scenes of chaos and conflict around the world than Anderson Cooper, whose groundbreaking coverage on CNN has changed the way we watch the news.

After growing up on Manhattan's Upper East Side, Cooper felt a magnetic pull toward the unknown. If he could keep moving, and keep exploring, he felt he could stay one step ahead of his past, including the fame surrounding his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, and the tragic early deaths of his father and older brother.

But recently, during the course of one extraordinary, tumultuous year, it became impossible for him to continue to separate his work from his life. From the tsunami in Sri Lanka to the war in Iraq to the starvation in Niger and ultimately to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Mississippi, Cooper gives us a firsthand glimpse of the devastation that takes place. Writing with vivid memories of his childhood and early career as a roving correspondent, Cooper reveals for the first time how deeply affected he has been by the wars, disasters, and tragedies he has witnessed, and why he continues to be drawn to some of the most perilous places on earth.

Striking, heartfelt, and utterly engrossing, Dispatches from the Edge is an unforgettable memoir that takes us behind the scenes of the cataclysmic events of our age and allows us to see them through the eyes of one of America's most trusted, fearless, and pioneering reporters.

©2006 Anderson Cooper (P)2006 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

  • Audie Award Finalist, Biography/Memoir, 2007

"Cooper is an intelligent, passionate man." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Dispatches from the Edge

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    5 out of 5 stars

full on news , family,travel!

wonderful book Anderson Cooper!
thoroughly enjoyed from your perspective. ty4 all u do! sharing all!!

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Really Interesting.

Would you consider the audio edition of Dispatches from the Edge to be better than the print version?

I love to hear a book read by the Author. I don't know why anyone would choose the print version instead. I feel like I'm getting the

What other book might you compare Dispatches from the Edge to and why?

Don't know.

What does Anderson Cooper bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I feel like he makes it sound more compelling and immediate.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I felt his chapter about Katrina was very informative and brought me a new understanding of the whole event.

Any additional comments?

He does talk about some family events but it's not his

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting read

I found this was a very interesting read about Cooper. No more, no less, but as someone who enjoys his work and is intrigued by him, I thought this was a pretty intimate look at what drives Anderson Cooper. I wouldn't expect anyone who is not a fan of him to like this, but if you are a fan of AC, you'll find this very interesting.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Good but lacking in some ways

I purchased Anderson Cooper's "Dispatches from the Edge" and Robert Stanek's "Stormjammers, The Story of Electronic Warfare in the Gulf War" the same day. While Cooper's book is fast-paced and edgy in a CNN Headline News kind of way, Stanek's is the book I liked best and the one I finished first.

Cooper has the ability to bring you up close to what he went through professionally to get to where he is now. However, I was a little disappointed with his blunt force approach to many of the topics. A good listen, but it would have been great without using other people's tragedies and traumas as segways into various parts of his life.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

So personal and eye-opening!

I was amazed at how fast I blew through this book. Anderson Cooper is a wonderful story-teller and these stories are as human and tragic as they are significant and necessary. I highly recommend reading this!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A Powerful Listen

Anderson's own history is fascinating but what really struck me with this audiobook was the emotion he was speaking with. This wasn't just "here's my story" - it was full of emotion and opinion and really made listening to it all enjoyable. I listened while driving and I often went driving just to listen to more of it. Highly recommended.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

What a great book!

Anderson Cooper does a fantastic job narrating his story- intermixing his personal life that is the motivation behind the relentless drive he has to travel, explore and understand. It is ironic that a man who so studiously avoids dealing with his own personal pain and tragedy can so eloquently share the stories of suffering of others in such a compassionate and intimate manner.
I found one aspect of his personality to be particularly refreshing- his views on wealth and privilege. Remember when the wealthy used to be humble, self-deprecating and believe they had a duty to serve some higher purpose for all they had been given? (Or at least had the decency to pretend to be?) Well, that is Anderson to a T! He is not one of the annoying trust fund babies; born with 10 million bucks that thinks that makes them a financial genius. He is the anti-Paris!
The only tiny negative- I have heard so many excerpts of his story in Vanity Fair, on Oprah, on his show- that parts do seem repetitive.
I greatly enjoyed listening to this book and highly recommend it to everyone.
Chris

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating Man and Life

What made the experience of listening to Dispatches from the Edge the most enjoyable?

First I'm a fan of Anderson. This book just made me more so. He leads a fascinating life and thru this book you see how humble he remains. He has seen and been thru so many things and I love how effortlessly and honestly he shares those experiences.

What other book might you compare Dispatches from the Edge to and why?

Closest would be Killing Kennedy by O'Reilly. I enjoy both of their factual, simple delivery.

Have you listened to any of Anderson Cooper’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. If he has more for me to read - please advise!

If you could give Dispatches from the Edge a new subtitle, what would it be?

Probably the same as my review Headline...Fascinating Man, Fascinating Life

Any additional comments?

I couldn't stop listening when he talks of Katrina. The way he approaches situations and how he shares his facts is so compelling.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a must read.


Everything about this book was excellent. Held my attention from beginning to end. Better than any other memoire. Can hardly wait to read his next book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A Heartfelt Book

I'm so surprised that this book didn't get better reviews out there in the literary community. I thought Anderson did a beautiful job of telling his story with humility, humor, and very open honesty. This was a great study of one person's attempt to ask himself the questions that matter, and to find the answers. He doesn't always find the answers, and doesn't always do the right things, but he tries and he lets the world watch as he does. Great philosophical and introspective "Everyman" memoir. I loved it.

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4 people found this helpful