Ben bradlee book a good life

Im only half way through this epic bio, but i find it fascinating. Ben bradlee, one of the last things you tell us in your book is that you. He became a national figure during the presidency of richard nixon, when he challenged the federal government over the right to publish the pentagon papers and oversaw the publication of bob woodward and carl bernsteins. In it, we learn about ben bradlees childhood, his college years, the time he spent in the navy. Having gotten married just before going to vietnam, i know how he felt getting married just before going into wwii. Bradlee wrote conversations with kennedy and his memoir, a good life were bestsellers. Bradlee, immortalized in the watergate film all the. A good life by ben bradlee the classic new york times bestselling memoir by legendary executive editor of the washington post ben bradleewith a new. This is the witty, candid story of a daring young man who made his own way to the heights of american journalism and public life, of the great.

He was a lousy harvard student and he suffered many of the problems the rest of us have early on. Benjamin crowninshield ben bradlee is vicepresident at large of the washington post. Perhaps the best of this book is ben bradlees willingness to let the reader get to know him, faults and all. Published on dec 29, 2017 ben bradlee, editor of the washington post discusses his book a good life with james goodale, former vice chairman of the new york times. From his teenaged recovery from polio, harvard graduation, service on a wwii destroyer in the hazardous south seas off guadalcanal, city editorship of a new hampshire paper, a brief stint at the washington post then as a parisbased foreign correspondent who traveled all over europe and the middle east, to a job as assistant to the american ambassador in paris, to newsweek and again the washington post, ben bradlees good life was a full and eventful one, as well. In this witty, candid memoir, ben bradlee, the most important, glamorou. A good life book by ben bradlee official publisher page simon. Watergate, however, occupies only part of this wonderful book. You can see the beginnings of the very partisan politics that now besmirches washington in this book.

Ben bradlee, editor of the washington post discusses his book a good life with james goodale, former vice chairman of the new york. The washington post comes across as a left wing version of fox news. Bradlee was one of those legendary editors who succeeded in raising a title to the highest level by force of character. He was the executive editor of the washington post from 1968 to 1991. Benjamin crowninshield bradlee august 26, 1921 october 21, 2014 was an american newspaperman. Ben bradlee, editor of the washington post discusses his book a good life with james goodale, former vice chairman of the new york times, on wnye tv, channel 25 in 1995. In 1942, he became a communications officer for the office of naval intelligence and fought in thirteen battles during world war ii. Ben bradlee is bigger than life, but it was good to see from where he came. In a good life, bradlee is largely selfdepreciating, not so much about his abilities, but about the incredible opportunities that just happened to fall into his lap due to his back bay blue blood boston family connections, everything from foreign service work to sleeping with another mans wife while on a family ski holiday. Only someone of extreme arrogance would call his own autobiography a good life and bradlees snobbishness and disdain for people with different views comes across. I was sorry when i finished a good life and wished there was more to enjoy. Its not often that a man of bradlees standing, accomplishments, celebrity and experience will be honest enough to do that.