The Other Side of the Story

by Jody Powell

Book Overview

"When the news seemed to me, then and now, to be wrong, unsupportable, and unfair." This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688036465
• ISBN13: 9780688036461
• Release Date: January 1984
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Horror Story in The Making

When I bought this book by the Press Secretary of the Carter Administration two things became glaring apparent to me. The first is that I am a political junkie and the second was that regardless of how outdated a book, I will read about any memoir of an inside guy. The book is a bit different from your normal political memoir in that the author focuses exclusively on how the press treated the Carter Presidency and staff. The author does not give you a historical overview of the administration and how he fit in. I must say that this was an interesting approach. Sure the dust jacket said this was the focus of the book, but almost anyone writing a book about their years in the White House always falls in to describing the great things he or she did regardless of the original focus of the book. The author also did something so few politicians ever do that it is memorable even if it is not that impressive in and off itself, the author detailed out the mistakes he made and took full responsibility for them. I must say this author took no prisoners when talking about some of the rather dubious and headline grabbing reporting that took place during his time in the White House. If he had any grudges or complaints about the press that he kept to himself during his years in the administration, they are laid bare in this book. As I read it I almost would cringe at some of the comments, how he ever thought he would be part of the press community after this book came out is beyond me. I have to give him credit, he did not take personal shots, he just went after them as professionals and in doing so he detailed out some instances that had to prove rather harmful to the reporters reputations. It made for some very entertaining and interesting reading. I actually think this book would be more valuable to someone that is looking into the how the press treats the White House instead of an overview of the Carter years. My only compliant on the book would be that the author could have used about ten percent more detail on the topics he was covering. Sure when the book came out the items were still somewhat fresh in the minds of the targeted audience for the book, but the detail would help the reader today. Overall I did find it interesting and direct. The author did not water down his comments in the least. And for you anti Kennedy folks out there, although the author saves some of his best for different members of the press, he overwhelmingly picks on Teddy through the full book. I got to thinking toward the end of the book if maybe there was not something personal between the two men. The book probably only interests people looking at how the press deal with the White House or the few political junkies out there that can not get enough political insider books.