The Man Who Would Not Shut Up: The Rise of Bill O'Reilly

by Marvin Kitman

Book Overview

In the wake of the loss of TV's top anchormen, Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, and Ted Koppel, a seismic shift has occurred in broadcast news. A revolution had already been taking place on the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312385862
• ISBN13: 9780312385866
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Griffin
• Length: 319 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Wouldn't Stop Talking

A very well written book...told me lots of things I did not know about Bill O'Reilly. What a man of character he is... Have now read several of his books that he wrote..... This book written by another person brings out his entire life and I am proud to say I would recommend it to everyone.

HOW IT ALL CAME ABOUT!

Author Kitman has written an indepth behind the scenes perspective on Bill O'Reilly. This book reveals a bristling, tough, knowledgeable, person,shaped by some not so nice events in his own life. We learn about some of the cruel and unfair treatment he received as a young man coming of age --- and while attempting to climb the television journalism ladder of success. In some instances, Marvin Kitman shows readers that Bill was a major contributor to his own difficulties. At other times his out-spoken candor, individuality, intelligence, talent, high-energy level, true grit, and intense work ethic served as the catalyst. The book is well written. It overflows with past and current O'Reilly capers. Just to mention a few; with Joey Bishop, Keith Hernandez, Mike Wallace, Mike Kinsley, Sen. John McCain, Roger Ailes, Monica Collins, Madeleine Albright, Geraldo Rivera, Levittown, the Marx brothers old house, Al Franken, Keith Olbermann, David Letterman, Peter Jennings. Thank you Marvin Kitman for an informative book, but you could have included at least one interview with Ms Arthelle Neville, who used to critique Bill O'Reilly on his own "No-spin zone" show. I enjoyed watching that portion of the show. He accepted her criticisms with good humor. Her commentary in this book might have been very interesting.

Well-worth reading

The Man Who Would Not Shut Up by Marvin Kitman is a meticulously researched and well-written story of an unusual phenomenon. Kitman has a riveting section on O'Reilly's lawsuit and an historically interesting summation of O'Reilly in the world of TV news. Well worth reading whether one is a fan of O'Reilly or -- as in my case -- not. Barbara Ferguson

Fair and Balanced--Seriously.

Well, Marvin Kitman tells us in advance that he's a liberal but that's not going to prevent his writing an objective account of Bill O'Reilly, and that's exactly what he proceeds to do. I have no complaints about the fairness of his perspective. In fact, I am somewhat amazed that the mighty, megamouthed star did not sanction it as official biography. This is a book he should be proud of. Kitman even, at certain points, is unquestionably kindly disposed towards his subject. We are given a brief summary of his life; a life in which his standing was, for the most part, more marginal than supreme. To non-fans like myself, his immense appeal is not easy to comprehend. What does seem clear is that he is a sincere person who cares about his family and country. Behind his dramatic atmopsherics lies an iron anvil of belief. One also gets the sense that there is not anything else he'd rather be doing that getting before that microphone. In actuality, it's not hard to understand how an old-school liberal like Kitman would appreciate a guy like O'Reilly. The icon's views are not generic, and no party I know of is mercurial enough to encompass all of his positions ...and ego. As far as specifics go, I have to say that before opening The Man who Would Not Shut Up I never knew what exactly happened with the sexual harassment suit brought against him, yet I am now ashamed and angered that he allowed himself to be taken advantage of by such a sinister person. Regardless of cost, he should have taken that scammer to trial. This is a riveting and concise read.

Will the Real Bill O'Reilly Please Stand Up?

I have a couple of alternate titles for Marvin Kitman's latest book, "The Man Who Would Not Shut Up: The Rise of Bill O'Reilly." He could have called it "What Makes Bill Run" or "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Bill O'Reilly but were Too Freakin' Terrified to Ask." Kudos to Kitman on writing a book that is not only an in depth study of a modern media phenom, but an incisive no holds barred commentary on the state of TV journalism today - and how it got that way. Who better to present that analysis than the man who was Newsday's former top television/media critic for 35 years? Kitman takes O'Reilly apart and puts him back together again. The result is a fair and balanced portrait that might make you change your mind about The Zone Czar. You may not come away loving him but you certainly will understand him and perhaps even respect him. Did you know that O'Reilly holds two master's degrees; one in broadcast journalism from Boston University, the other from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard? Would it surprise you to learn that Bobby Kennedy is the politician most admired by O'Reilly during his lifetime or that he's a proponent of gun control, sex education in the schools and federal negotiation to lower pharmaceutical costs? Before I start sounding like Anne Coulter, Kitman also points out that O'Reilly can be arrogant, abrasive, egotistical and cheap. Kitman conducted 29 interviews with O'Reilly in his office, at his home and other non-spin venues. He spoke to his childhood friends, relatives, former bosses, co-workers and checked out old videotapes of O'Reilly's early career. There are also a number of great personal photos, including an adorable little O'Reilly at his first communion and others showing a startlingly handsome teenager and young man. Kitman provides front row seats to O'Reilly's verbal wrestling matches with Jon Stewart, Keith Olbermann, Barney Frank, David Letterman, Barbara Walters, former New York Governor Hugh Carey and the country of Canada, to name a few. (The coverage of O'Reilly's famous feud with Al Franken is a gem.) On the balance side, Kitman also notes that the greatly admired ABC anchor Peter Jennings had high regard for O'Reilly's ability and considered him a friend. And in what can be considered a major journalistic coup, Kitman answers a question that has plagued O'Reilly supporters and detractors for years. Was Fox's man of the people (a native Long Islander) raised in blue collar Levittown or upscale Westbury? For that answer and a seriously entertaining look at Bill O'Reilly and the world of television news, read Kitman's book. And that's no spin.