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.

Well-told story of a remarkable journalist

May many aspiring and practicing journalists take note and follow Hersh's lead. We need his brand of in-depth, thoughtful, and experienced journalism as much now as ever.

Great read--great narration, too

True journalists like Hersh make reporting relatively simple: Ask the right questions of the right people, verify their answers, piece together the story and write it. Simple, yes, but not at all easy. He's one of the best at it and explains the process beautifully while describing some of the biggest stories of the century. I really enjoyed this memoir of a reporter who follows the truth where it leads him and doesn't start out with a set of "facts" he's trying to prove. I was a journalist during the much of the time Hersh covers and his stories reminded me of the joy of uncovering something others were trying to hide. It also reminded me that there are good, honorable people throughout the government, intelligence services and military who will risk their careers, and sometimes their lives, to expose their organizations' deceits. Hersh gives them ample credit in this book. A word about the narration: Arthur Morey was the perfect choice. There wasn't a false note in the entire 13 hours and 52 minutes. He makes you think Hersh is sitting there next to you telling you his story.

Great read!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Interesting, informative, and a full accounting of recent history from the perspective of an investigative reporter.

Exemplary Reporter

I have followed Hersh’s reporting over the years always excited to learn what juicy coverup he had unearthed. It’s been interesting and entertaining to hear his story. The reader embodies Hersh quite well.

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.