Thursday, December 17, 2009

MY PAPER CHASE: A MEMOIR REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
MY PAPER CHASE

BY HAROLD EVANS

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In My Paper Chase, Harold Evans recounts the wild and wonderful tale of newspapering life. His story stretches from the 1930s to his service in WWII, through towns big and off the map. He discusses his passion for the crusading style of reportage he championed, his clashes with Rupert Murdoch, and his struggle to use journalism to better the lives of those less fortunate.

There's a star-studded cast and a tremendously vivid sense of what once was: the lead type, the smell of the presses, eccentrics throughout, and angry editors screaming over the intercoms. My Paper Chase tells the story of Evans's great loves: newspapers and Tina Brown, the bright, young journalist who became his wife.


In an age when newspapers everywhere are under threat, My Paper Chase is not just a glorious recounting of an amazing life, but a nostalgic journey in black and white.


Harold Evans, the author of The American Century and now They Made America, is a celebrated historian and journalist. He was the editor of the Sunday Times of London for fourteen years and then the Times of London before settling in 1984 in America, where he has been successively founding editor of CondéNast Traveler; president and publisher of Random House; editorial director and vice chairman of U.S. News & World Report, the Atlantic magazine, Fast Company, and the New York Daily News.


In 2002 Britain's journalists voted Evans the greatest all-time British newspaper editor. He was knighted in Queen Elizabeth's 2004 New Year honors list. He lives in New York with his wife, Tina Brown, and their two children.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Sir Harold Matthew Evans (born 28 June 1928) is a British-born journalist and writer who was editor of The Sunday Times from 1967 to 1981. He has written various books on history and journalism. Since 2001, Evans has served as editor-at-large of The Week Magazine and since 2005, he has been a contributor to The Guardian and BBC Radio 4.

Evans was born in Newton Heath, Manchester, where he attended Brookdale High School Newton Heath, school with the future Alfred, Lord Morris of Manchester, who nicknamed him "Poshie" because he was the only boy in the school whose father - a railway driver - owned an automobile.

His career began as a reporter for a weekly newspaper in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire at 16 years old. After completing his national service in the Royal Air Force, he entered Durham University where he graduated with honours in politics and economics and subsequently earned a Master of Arts degree for a thesis on foreign policy. He became an assistant editor of the Manchester Evening News and won a Harkness Fellowship in 1956-57 for travel and study in the United States. He began to gain a reputation on his return from the U.S. when he was appointed editor of the regional daily The Northern Echo, where one of his campaigns resulted in a national programme for the detection of cervical cancer.

During his 14-year tenure as editor of the Sunday Times, Evans was responsible for its crusading style of investigative reporting which brought to public attention many stories and scandals which were officially denied or ignored.

One such report was about the plight of hundreds of British Thalidomide children who had never had any compensation for severe birth defects some had suffered. This turned into a campaign for the newspaper's Insight investigative team, and Evans himself took on the drug companies responsible for the manufacture of Thalidomide, pursuing them through the English courts and eventually gaining victory in the European Court of Human Rights. As a result, the victims' families won compensation after more than a decade. Moreover, the British Government was compelled to change the law inhibiting the reporting of civil cases.

Other influential investigative reports included the exposure of Kim Philby as a Soviet spy and the publication of the diaries of former Labour Minister Richard Crossman, thereby risking prosecution under the Official Secrets Act.


When Rupert Murdoch acquired Times Newspapers Limited in 1981, Evans was appointed editor of The Times. However, he remained with the paper only a year, resigning over policy differences relating to editorial independence. Evans wrote an account in a book entitled Good Times, Bad Times (1984). On leaving The Times, Evans became director of Goldcrest Films and Television.

In 1984, Evans moved to the United States, where he taught at Duke University. He was subsequently appointed editor-in-chief of The Atlantic Monthly Press and became editorial director of US News and World Report. In 1986 he was the founding editor of Conde Nast Traveler, dedicated to "truth in travel".


Evans was appointed president and publisher of Random House trade group from 1990 to 1997 and editorial director and vice chairman of US News and World Report, the New York Daily News, and The Atlantic Monthly from 1997 to January 2000, when he resigned to concentrate on writing.


Evans' best known work, The American Century, won critical acclaim when it was published in 1998. The sequel, They Made America (2004), described the lives of some of the country's most important inventors and innovators. Fortune identified it as one of the best books in the 75 years of that magazine's publication. It was adapted as a four-part television mini-series that same year and as a National Public Radio special in the USA in 2005.

Harold Evans became an American citizen in 1993, and lives in New York with his wife Tina Brown and their two children. He was knighted for services to journalism in 2004.

REVIEW/REACTION:

What a fascinating man. I feel almost like I know him as he is associated with so many well-known publications and causes. Always the newspaper man and a pioneer in his field, he has been rightfully knighted, awarded, and renowned for his talents. Harold Evans is known as England's greatest editor since the war, thus the subtitle and it is certainly true when you read all he has done. His has always championed the causes of those who are not so easily heard like when he made the companies take responsibility for the birth defects caused by Thalidomide. I remember those stories as a child. The book is written with the class it deserves for an elegant and yet hard-hitting reporter, editor and writer. His memoir tells of a world when newspapers were so much more than they are today and it is interesting to get a glimpse into that era as we shall never see it again with the way communications have changed. And yet, men like Evans, if there ever were any as good as him, were a special breed unto themselves.

I found the story to be a very interesting, often entertaining read and much of it was because he has quite a sense of humor. His story hopefully gets across the point of how important newspapers once were and still can be today when done well..which is not often, sad to say. His personal life is described of course and includes his meeting and marrying his wife, Tina, and about their two children. However, I think I came away feeling that his real baby was and will always be the news and the newspaper. Very good autobiography and I recommend it if you like a good one like this.


GIVEAWAY


THANKS TO VALERIE AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE
FIVE COPIES OF THIS FASCINATING
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

RULES:

--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!
HOW TO ENTER

+1 ENTRY: Go to the Hachette website here and click on "Audio and Video" and click and watch the video. Come back and tell something about it....OR explore the Holiday Gift Guide Tab above and click on an area of interest and name a book you think you would like that Hachette Books publishes.

+1 MORE ENTRY: Blog or Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link in your comment!

+1 MORE ENTRY: Follow on Google Connect (see left hand sidebar) or tell me how you do follow
ALL ENTRIES ARE DUE BY
6 PM, EST, DECEMBER 29
GOOD LUCK!

29 comments:

fredamans said...

I like the video. You said it best when you called him a fascinating man. The part where he talks about the legal system in Britain, I mean getting the laws changed is amazing!

freda.mans[at]sympatico.ca

fredamans said...

tweet; http://twitter.com/fredalicious/status/6768022123

freda.mans[at]sympatico.ca

Margie said...

I went to the Holiday Gift Guide, clicked on Art & Photography, and found a wonderful book...Ansel Adams in Color. I love his work, but have only seen it in black and white. Didn't know he used color.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

I just started following you via igoogle, and am also signed up for email updates (so I shouldn't miss a thing!)
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

bermudaonion said...

In the video I discovered that Harold Evans is most proud of his work in helping those affected by Thalidomide receive just compensation. (By the way, I tried to watch the video on your blog and it didn't work.) milou2ster(at)gmail.com

sharon54220 said...

Sounds like a great book. Memoirs are one of my favorite genres to read.

I went to the Gift Guide. I would love Norman Rockwell:Behind the Camera. My mother was a collector of Norman Rockwell statues,and when she passed away I inherited them.

Thanks for the chance.

sharon54220@gmail.com

sharon54220 said...

I follow you on Google Connect and through Google Reader.

sharon54220@gmail.com

g.g. said...

I used to work for a newspaper. This would be so interesting to read. I enjoyed much of the site especially the contest page...what fun!

anjamie4 AT gmail dot com

g.g. said...

I follow on GFC and email

anjamie4 AT gmail dot com

Esme said...

I follow by google reader

chocolate and croissants at yahoo dot com

Esme said...

I would pick true Compass from the holiday guide

chocolate and croissants at yahoo dot com

Esme said...

cococroissants

The Paper Chase giveaway http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-paper-chase-memoir-review-and.html

chocolate and croissants at yahoo dot com

enyl said...

I would love to add the following books to my classroom library:
The Waxman Report,True Compass,The Concise King,The American Century,They Made America, and Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958-2009(my students are very interested in conducting their own journalistic investigation to uncover the truth about Michael Jackson).
enyl(at)inbox(dot)com

enyl said...

Google Connect follower.
enyl(at)inbox(dot)com

petite said...

Thanks for this wonderful giveaway. I am impressed with this exceptional memoir. I have been reading more memoirs this year than ever before. The video is interesting and gives me great insight about this man and his work. The laws he worked on getting changed. saubleb(at)gmail(sot)com

petite said...

I am a subscriber via e-mail. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

It's obvious from the short video that Harold Evans has a good sense of humor and doesn't take himself too seriously. He is also a kind man and it was nice to hear how proud he was of being able to take the legal system in Britain to task for ignoring the children who suffered because their mother's took Thalidomide. Evans was able to get the laws changed and get compensation for these children who were ignored for 10 years.

I also find it very interesting that he is married to Tina Brown who I am familiar with because she is a well-known face among popular magazines for women, many she has edited or help to produce. (I like magazines!)

Great giveaway! Thank you so much Karen!

~ Amy
Aimala127@gmail.com

Unknown said...

I am a Google Friend Connect Follower!

Amy
Aimala127@gmail.com

Wickdogg said...

Great site. I didn't realize hachette had so many groups under them. I went to the gift guide and saw I Am Americe with Colbert under humor...great book.

wickdogg AT gmail dot com

Wickdogg said...

I am a google connect follower


wickdogg AT gmail dot com

ossmcalc said...

He was the grandson of an illiterate railway worker. He also spoke about Power and how it had to be monitored by Journalism. It sounds like a book that I would very much want to read.

thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I tweeted about this giveaway http://twitter.com/ossmcalc/status/6919343015

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I follow you via Google Connect.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

catss99 said...

from the gift guide:
the gift of an ordinary day looks good!
catss99@yahoo.com

catss99 said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/catss99/status/6992044375
catss99@yahoo.com

catss99 said...

i follow on google connect
catss99@yahoo.com

Nancye said...

I would like to read "Miracles" by Karen Kingsbury. This book is on Hachette's Holiday Gift Guide.

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Loyal Follower via Google Friend Connect :)

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Tweet! Tweet!

http://twitter.com/NancyeDavis/status/7174322666

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

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