Truth, Mary Mapes
Truth, Mary Mapes
List: $10.99 | Sale: $7.70
Club: $5.49

Truth
The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power

Author: Mary Mapes

Narrator: Mary Mapes

Abridged: 4 hr 59 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/13/2015


Synopsis

Mary Mapes's Truth (previously published as Truth & Duty) was made into the 2015 film Truth, starring Cate Blanchett, Robert Redford, Topher Grace and Elizabeth Moss.

A riveting play-by-play of a reporter getting and defending a story that recalls All the President's Men, Truth puts readers in the center of the "60 Minutes II" story on George W. Bush's shirking of his National Guard duty. The firestorm that followed that broadcast--a conflagration that was carefully sparked by the right and fanned by bloggers--trashed Mapes' well-respected twenty-five year producing career, caused newsman Dan Rather to resign from his anchor chair early and led to an unprecedented "internal inquiry" into the story...chaired by former Reagan attorney general Richard Thornburgh.

Truth examines Bush's political roots as governor of Texas, delves into what is known about his National Guard duty-or lack of service-and sheds light on the solidity of the documents that backed up the National Guard story, even including images of the actual documents in an appendix to the book. It is peopled with a colorful cast of characters-from Karl Rove to Sumner Redstone-and moves from small-town Texas to Black Rock-CBS corporate headquarters-in New York City.

Truth connects the dots between a corporation under fire from the federal government and the decision about what kinds of stories a news network may cover. It draws a line from reporting in the trenches to the gutting of the great American tradition of a independent media and asks whether it's possible to break important stories on a powerful sitting president.

About Mary Mapes

Mary Mapes began her career in Seattle at KIRO-TV and was a Peabody Award- winning producer for 60 Minutes. She lives in Dallas.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Scott on January 15, 2023

A journalist must have a thick skin. I was told this by several of my co-workers when I went to work at a small suburban newspaper in 2000. I was in my late-20s and excited to have a job that would utilize my writing skills. My four years of college and several thousands of dollars in student debt w......more

Goodreads review by Hazel on August 02, 2008

This was an excellent book. For the most part, the writing was engaging (only to be expected from someone who works in news), and the stuff that Mapes discussed (ranging from the purpose of journalism and journalistic ethics, to the effect of anonymity in blogs, to the privilege and clout associated......more

Goodreads review by Paulatics on February 16, 2016

I read this book after watching the excellent movie on which it is based. It is well-written and heartfelt. Ms. Mapes was scapegoated and treated miserably by the corporate power at CBS. Dan Rather lost his job, too. She is an excellent journalist and she and Dan Rather told a story that needed to b......more

Goodreads review by Jeremy on February 04, 2015

I was very disappointed with this book. Being a former senior producer for CBS News and 60 Minutes, I was expecting a very insightful and interesting look into modern investigative reporting as well as the business of the news from the author. Instead, I found a very whiny and childish tirade agains......more

Goodreads review by Luci on July 23, 2015

Well written compelling story of the Dan Rather debacle. I read this in advance of the movie that comes out with Robert Redford this fall. Well worth it, if you are into politics.......more