Reporter

A Memoir

By: Seymour M. Hersh

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

"Reporter is just wonderful. Truly a great life, and what shines out of the book, amid the low cunning and tireless legwork, is Hersh's warmth and humanity. This book is essential reading for every journalist and aspiring journalist the world over." —John le Carré

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning, best-selling author and preeminent investigative journalist of our time—a heartfelt, hugely revealing memoir of a decades-long career breaking some of the most impactful stories of the last half-century, from Washington to Vietnam to the Middle East.

Seymour Hersh's fearless reporting has earned him fame, front-page bylines in virtually every major newspaper in the free world, honors galore, and no small amount of controversy. Now in this memoir he describes what drove him and how he worked as an independent outsider, even at the nation's most prestigious publications. He tells the stories behind the stories—riveting in their own right—as he chases leads, cultivates sources, and grapples with the weight of what he uncovers, daring to challenge official narratives handed down from the powers that be. In telling these stories, Hersh divulges previously unreported information about some of his biggest scoops, including the My Lai massacre and the horrors at Abu Ghraib. There are also illuminating recollections of some of the giants of American politics and journalism: Ben Bradlee, A. M. Rosenthal, David Remnick, and Henry Kissinger among them. This is essential reading on the power of the printed word at a time when good journalism is under fire as never before.

Investigative journalism behind-the-scenes history

It took me months to finish this audio book. I both loved the book and hated the corruption it revealed. The shining America in my mind fragmented and fell into pieces. I was a child or a busy young adult during many of the historic events Seymour Hersh reported on so this was a good way to catch up and learn what happened.

The writing is wonderful and the narration perfect. My interest was held throughout. But, I had to take a break from the book and listen to humor or other distracting fictional books because I was so disappointed in what I was learning. The corruption, the power-hungry, the pathological greed that threaded through the stories was a sad reality. The abuse of civilians in other countries by American soldiers in various wars was disappointing. Raping of women, robbing of families, threatening harm to shake down people for money . . . I was so disheartened by these stories - including murder for entertainment or relief of stress by helicopter pilots in Vietnam . . . so awful.

The early stories of police abuse and killing of black citizens, terrible. But those individual tragedies and injustices were outpaced by the huge and wholesale abuse of American citizens' freedoms and economic rights by those in power.

The book is a wonderful insight into the value of investigative journalism, and I despair that we will have journalists that can afford to be investigative journalists with mainstream media focusing on "talking heads" - or dressed-up people paid big bucks (millions) - to talk on the allowed topics decided on by a few rich and powerful billionaires.

I am glad I listened to this audiobook, although it made me sad to see how the wonderful United States of America has been corrupted wherever power or money is to be had. I admire the author's life work to uncover the truth - and understand his reasons for not revealing everything.

A Great Memoir

Since I am a near contemporary of Hersh, I loved this view of our history.

Informative

Great narration, interesting hearing the perspectives of the investigative journalist who is responsible for so many huge stories being uncovered.

Pretty much what I expected

What I should have expected from a brash old school Chicago reporter who recounts his career from early days as city reporter to his rise as a world renowned investigative journalist who has been involved in exposing many of the most important stories of the last fifty years.

Hersh is very aware of his talents and flaws as well as the way he comes across to people, whether they be bosses, colleagues or targets. He’s pretty full of himself as you would expect but his memoir is driven by the intense love he has for the work he’s done so well. It has to be very frightening to be pursued by this guy once you realize he knows your hiding something.

All in all this comes across as an honest book. He brags but also admits his mistakes and regrets. I’ve followed him since the Sixties and I feel that Reporter serves as a fitting review of a career well reported.

open your eyes and mind. only truth will set us...

I've always been a bit radical in my belief or disbelief of the honesty and integrity of our elected officials. I had good teachers. My brillant older sister Kathy who was a hippy living in the Heate district of SF, with Janis Joplin down the street, always said to me that the American people have no clue what their government is doing. My father, a decorated Marine who served in World War II, forbade me to volunteer at 18 for the Vietnam war. He said "I will personally move you to Canada rather than waste your life in this unjust war."
Thank you Mr. Hirsch for confirming My family's heartfelt insights and beliefs . Share this book with all thinking and even non thinking people that you know. America needs to know!