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Audition: A Memoir
Young people starting out in television sometimes say to me: “I want to be you.” My stock reply is always: “Then you have to take the whole package.”
And now, at last, the most important woman in the history of television journalism gives us that “whole package,” in her inspiring and riveting memoir. After more than forty years of interviewing heads of state, world leaders, movie stars, criminals, murderers, inspirational figures, and celebrities of all kinds, Barbara Walters has turned her gift for examination onto herself to reveal the forces that shaped her extraordinary life.
Barbara Walters’s perception of the world was formed at a very early age. Her father, Lou Walters, was the owner and creative mind behind the legendary Latin Quarter nightclub, and it was his risk-taking lifestyle that gave Barbara her first taste of glamour. It also made her aware of the ups and downs, the insecurities, and even the tragedies that can occur when someone is willing to take great risks, for Lou Walters didn’t just make several fortunes—he also lost them. Barbara learned early about the damage that such an existence can do to relationships—between husband and wife as well as between parent and child. Through her roller-coaster ride of a childhood, Barbara had a close companion, her mentally challenged sister, Jackie. True, Jackie taught her younger sister much about patience and compassion, but Barbara also writes honestly about the resentment she often felt having a sister who was so “different” and the guilt that still haunts her.
All of this—the financial responsibility for her family, the fear, the love—played a large part in the choices she made as she grew up: the friendships she developed, the relationships she had, the marriages she tried to make work. Ultimately, thanks to her drive, combined with a decent amount of luck, she began a career in television. And what a career it has been! Against great odds, Barbara has made it to the top of a male-dominated industry. She was the first woman cohost of the Today show, the first female network news coanchor, the host and producer of countless top-rated Specials, the star of 20/20, and the creator and cohost of The View. She has not just interviewed the world’s most fascinating figures, she has become a part of their world. These are just a few of the names that play a key role in Barbara’s life, career, and book: Yasir Arafat, Warren Beatty, Menachem Begin, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chávez, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Roy Cohn, the Dalai Lama, Princess Diana, Katharine Hepburn, King Hussein, Angelina Jolie, Henry Kissinger, Monica Lewinsky, Richard Nixon, Rosie O’Donnell, Christopher Reeve, Anwar Sadat, John Wayne . . . the list goes on and on.
Barbara Walters has spent a lifetime auditioning: for her bosses at the TV networks, for millions of viewers, for the most famous people in the world, and even for her own daughter, with whom she has had a difficult but ultimately quite wonderful and moving relationship. This book, in some ways, is her final audition, as she fully opens up both her private and public lives. In doing so, she has given us a story that is heartbreaking and honest, surprising and fun, sometimes startling, and always fascinating.
And now, at last, the most important woman in the history of television journalism gives us that “whole package,” in her inspiring and riveting memoir. After more than forty years of interviewing heads of state, world leaders, movie stars, criminals, murderers, inspirational figures, and celebrities of all kinds, Barbara Walters has turned her gift for examination onto herself to reveal the forces that shaped her extraordinary life.
Barbara Walters’s perception of the world was formed at a very early age. Her father, Lou Walters, was the owner and creative mind behind the legendary Latin Quarter nightclub, and it was his risk-taking lifestyle that gave Barbara her first taste of glamour. It also made her aware of the ups and downs, the insecurities, and even the tragedies that can occur when someone is willing to take great risks, for Lou Walters didn’t just make several fortunes—he also lost them. Barbara learned early about the damage that such an existence can do to relationships—between husband and wife as well as between parent and child. Through her roller-coaster ride of a childhood, Barbara had a close companion, her mentally challenged sister, Jackie. True, Jackie taught her younger sister much about patience and compassion, but Barbara also writes honestly about the resentment she often felt having a sister who was so “different” and the guilt that still haunts her.
All of this—the financial responsibility for her family, the fear, the love—played a large part in the choices she made as she grew up: the friendships she developed, the relationships she had, the marriages she tried to make work. Ultimately, thanks to her drive, combined with a decent amount of luck, she began a career in television. And what a career it has been! Against great odds, Barbara has made it to the top of a male-dominated industry. She was the first woman cohost of the Today show, the first female network news coanchor, the host and producer of countless top-rated Specials, the star of 20/20, and the creator and cohost of The View. She has not just interviewed the world’s most fascinating figures, she has become a part of their world. These are just a few of the names that play a key role in Barbara’s life, career, and book: Yasir Arafat, Warren Beatty, Menachem Begin, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chávez, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Roy Cohn, the Dalai Lama, Princess Diana, Katharine Hepburn, King Hussein, Angelina Jolie, Henry Kissinger, Monica Lewinsky, Richard Nixon, Rosie O’Donnell, Christopher Reeve, Anwar Sadat, John Wayne . . . the list goes on and on.
Barbara Walters has spent a lifetime auditioning: for her bosses at the TV networks, for millions of viewers, for the most famous people in the world, and even for her own daughter, with whom she has had a difficult but ultimately quite wonderful and moving relationship. This book, in some ways, is her final audition, as she fully opens up both her private and public lives. In doing so, she has given us a story that is heartbreaking and honest, surprising and fun, sometimes startling, and always fascinating.
613 pages, Hardcover
First published May 6, 2008
About the author
Barbara Walters
19 books53 followersBarbara Walters of American television reported news from 1961 for the national broadcasting company, and afterward in 1976 joined as the first woman to anchor the nightly network to 1979.
Barbara Jill Walters wrote as an journalist and media personality as a regular fixture on morning shows like The View. People knew Walters for more than a decade in morning on Today, where she with Hugh Downs later hosted Frank McGee and Jim Hartz. Walters later spent a quarter-century as co-host of 20/20, an evening magazine. She, the female, stood with Harry Reasoner on The American Broadcasting Company Evening News.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara...
Barbara Jill Walters wrote as an journalist and media personality as a regular fixture on morning shows like The View. People knew Walters for more than a decade in morning on Today, where she with Hugh Downs later hosted Frank McGee and Jim Hartz. Walters later spent a quarter-century as co-host of 20/20, an evening magazine. She, the female, stood with Harry Reasoner on The American Broadcasting Company Evening News.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,072 reviews
February 23, 2023
Barbara Walter's autobiography is aptly titled. She always felt she was auditioning her way through life and subconsciously and inadvertently, she was. She may not have known about her biggest audition, but Barbara was auditioning to be the epitome of a professional newswoman and an upstanding human being.
Although it isn't what she ever set out to do, the iconic Barbara Walters became a role model for many. Her memoir tells of the events and experiences in both her personal and professional lives that made her the woman she was. She always strove to be worthy of her role, good at her job, and to secure her place as a professional career woman, Those qualities also transferred to her personal life where she did her best to worthy of her roles as friend, mother, and wife.
Through her memoir and through her years a public news persona, I acquired a respect and admiration for Barbara Walters. She was fearless in her professional life, focused on the task at hand, while always keeping her composure and grace and showing genuine interest in her subjects. Her intelligence, work ethic, and relationships with others made her a respected coworker and a preferred news interviewer, and her class, dignity, and humility made her an exemplary person that many hope to emulate.
Although it isn't what she ever set out to do, the iconic Barbara Walters became a role model for many. Her memoir tells of the events and experiences in both her personal and professional lives that made her the woman she was. She always strove to be worthy of her role, good at her job, and to secure her place as a professional career woman, Those qualities also transferred to her personal life where she did her best to worthy of her roles as friend, mother, and wife.
Through her memoir and through her years a public news persona, I acquired a respect and admiration for Barbara Walters. She was fearless in her professional life, focused on the task at hand, while always keeping her composure and grace and showing genuine interest in her subjects. Her intelligence, work ethic, and relationships with others made her a respected coworker and a preferred news interviewer, and her class, dignity, and humility made her an exemplary person that many hope to emulate.
July 14, 2008
I finally finished "Audition". It took me a long time not because it's difficult to read - it's definitely not - I just read it in small increments. I really enjoyed the book. Although quite long (500+ pages) I didn't find it had any slow sections, which i find often happens in long books, particularly memoirs.
I've always liked Walters well enough, and this book may have made me like her a bit less. Although her professional accomplishments are spectacular, no question, I found her - at least the way she presents herself in this book - to be rather shallow. For example, I am bothered that she goes out of her way to not reveal her age (she'll be 79 in September) when anyone can do what I did and Google it! Hell, if I were 79 and looked the way she looks and was still working in my chosen profession I'd holler it from the roof tops!
The story of her professional trajectory is fascinating because of the barriers she broke down without really meaning to - she just did it. She talks about a lot of the interviews she had with a plethora of fascinating people, and I found myself remembering them. When put all together the way they're presented in the book, you realize she really has interviewed practically anyone who was anyone in the last 40 years! A clear representation of that is the inside of the front and back covers where the names of all the people she's interviewed are listed alphabetically - very cool.
Not only did she interview important people, in some cases, she actually played small parts in the actual history, serving as a go-between or delivering messages. Again, very cool. Also, in addition to describing the interviews, getting the interviews, etc. she also provides a brief historical overview, enough so that we can understand why the interview was significant and what the ramifications were.
Despite her exposure to the world however, she came across to me as somewhat naive and rather old-fashioned in some aspects. She is after all a woman of her generation and although I'm not in any way saying she's a racist, at points she views and reacts to racial issues as a person of her generation would, and it's a little jarring - at least to me. And although she's obviously clever, she doesn't strike as particularly intelligent.
There's also the matter of her affairs with married men (yes there was more than one) that personally disappoints me. However, she is very honest about her difficulties raising her daughter, her inability to maintain a marriage, and her inability to deal in a healthy manner with her family's issues.
I definitely recommend the book and encourage everyone to not be intimidated by the length of the book - again it is very easy to read and will bring back a lot of memories - as Walters has been witness to a lot of history.
By the way, I don't care what she says - I still think she slept with Fidel Castro!
I've always liked Walters well enough, and this book may have made me like her a bit less. Although her professional accomplishments are spectacular, no question, I found her - at least the way she presents herself in this book - to be rather shallow. For example, I am bothered that she goes out of her way to not reveal her age (she'll be 79 in September) when anyone can do what I did and Google it! Hell, if I were 79 and looked the way she looks and was still working in my chosen profession I'd holler it from the roof tops!
The story of her professional trajectory is fascinating because of the barriers she broke down without really meaning to - she just did it. She talks about a lot of the interviews she had with a plethora of fascinating people, and I found myself remembering them. When put all together the way they're presented in the book, you realize she really has interviewed practically anyone who was anyone in the last 40 years! A clear representation of that is the inside of the front and back covers where the names of all the people she's interviewed are listed alphabetically - very cool.
Not only did she interview important people, in some cases, she actually played small parts in the actual history, serving as a go-between or delivering messages. Again, very cool. Also, in addition to describing the interviews, getting the interviews, etc. she also provides a brief historical overview, enough so that we can understand why the interview was significant and what the ramifications were.
Despite her exposure to the world however, she came across to me as somewhat naive and rather old-fashioned in some aspects. She is after all a woman of her generation and although I'm not in any way saying she's a racist, at points she views and reacts to racial issues as a person of her generation would, and it's a little jarring - at least to me. And although she's obviously clever, she doesn't strike as particularly intelligent.
There's also the matter of her affairs with married men (yes there was more than one) that personally disappoints me. However, she is very honest about her difficulties raising her daughter, her inability to maintain a marriage, and her inability to deal in a healthy manner with her family's issues.
I definitely recommend the book and encourage everyone to not be intimidated by the length of the book - again it is very easy to read and will bring back a lot of memories - as Walters has been witness to a lot of history.
By the way, I don't care what she says - I still think she slept with Fidel Castro!
June 22, 2022
Barbara Walters is a very interesting person but not a very good writer. Audition is fun, light, name-dropping, and dishy - certainly not a chore to read - so I’m giving it 3 out of 5 stars on a “would I keep this book and ever read it again”? measure. In the hands of a gifted writer, this could have been an amazing book; Walters has certainly lived a full and fascinating life. A pretty quick, surface-y type of read that makes me want to learn more about some of the people and events she mentions, but not a story that provides any great measure of introspection or insight into either the tv news business or Walters herself.
July 1, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. I am not a huge fan of non-fiction but found Barbara's story both informative and entertaining. She really had to work to get to where she is today and personally gave up a lot on the way.
The peak back into history was also very interesting and as she points out in the book, issues that we are facing today are issues that we have faced in the recent past. Barbara was a newswoman who was able to interview many of the world’s leaders (Fidel Castro, Yasir Arafat, Anwar Sadat, Menachem Begin and Golda Meir to name a few). The interviews give the reader a sense of how we got to where we are today in terms of world politics.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is willing to take a trip back in time. The insights into both the political figures and the movie stars were fascinating. I have more respect for Barbara Walters after having read the book and learning how hard she had to work to get to where she is today. She blazed trails for women in the men’s club profession of journalism.
The peak back into history was also very interesting and as she points out in the book, issues that we are facing today are issues that we have faced in the recent past. Barbara was a newswoman who was able to interview many of the world’s leaders (Fidel Castro, Yasir Arafat, Anwar Sadat, Menachem Begin and Golda Meir to name a few). The interviews give the reader a sense of how we got to where we are today in terms of world politics.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is willing to take a trip back in time. The insights into both the political figures and the movie stars were fascinating. I have more respect for Barbara Walters after having read the book and learning how hard she had to work to get to where she is today. She blazed trails for women in the men’s club profession of journalism.
August 20, 2009
Barbara Walters's Audition is a massive, entertaining memoir that chronicles her troubled family life as she became one of television's most respected journalists.
My draw to the book was its focus on a television journalist who hob-knobs with celebrities, heads of state and American politicians while she juggles a career and a family life. Walters goes into great detail of growing up alongside her mentally disabled sister Jackie, her showman father Lou and later bringing up her adopted daughter Jackie (named after her sister).
Walters is candid in revealing her mistakes and especially her guilt. In no small measure she talks about how it's difficult - however otherwise it seems - for a woman to maintain a grasp on marriage (she's been married and divorced three times), to raise a well-adjusted daughter (who rebelled in her teen years) and to further her career (despite her huge success, she faced numerous challenges rising through the ranks of "Today" and later as co-anchor of the evening news with Harry Reasoner).
Walters talks about how she was ashamed of having a sister who was a drag on her social life. She talks about how it was hard to talk to her father late in his life, after his many successes and bitter failures. She talks about how she neglected her husbands and daughter. She not only expresses but is very aware of her guilt - but she hardly pities herself, is always grateful for her tremendous success and thankful to the many hands that helped her along the way.
Not surprising, Walters's book is at its best when she's being most honest: She never acts like she had it all, and she describes what she gave up to get where she is. Though at times she provides maybe too much detail about her own struggles, one can't help but sympathize with her as she describes her life being pulled in different directions. But eventually she decides she's talked enough about herself, and the book abruptly switches gears and she talks about the last 25 years of interviewing movie stars, presidents, first ladies, murderers, white-collar criminals, Monica Lewinsky and her tenure on 20/20 and The View.
The gossipy tidbits, while interesting, are also mildly empty after she stops intertwining her personal life with the struggles and triumphs of her career. While an alternate work that evenly mixed personal and professional may have been a staggering 900-page memoir, it would have been a complete work instead of one that feels like it may have become tiresome for its author as she neared completion (or maybe cut by a non-judicious editor).
But that's not to say the tidbits aren't anything but fascinating. Her chapter focusing on interviewing and getting to know presidents and first ladies is one of the best of the book. Most revealing is her story about interviewing Gerald and Betty Ford. Betty, who was apparently drunk and slurring words throughout the interview, was mercifully saved by Walters, who opted to narrate over parts featuring Betty instead of showing her in an inebriated state - a decision, she says, she would have never made today.
Sadly, no juicy tidbits for Walters's chapters on The View - which provide detail but no real insight on her very public spats with Star Jones, Rosie O'Donnell, Donald Trump, etc. (as my friend Debbie said, maybe she was afraid of lawsuit...). Nor does Walters get too descriptive of her highly-rated interview with Monica Lewinsky - which was seen by more than 50 million viewers less than a month after President Clinton was acquitted by the U.S. Senate.
Despite its late-book shortcomings, it is an exceptional book - a genuine work full of insight on women's careers, journalism and the highly competitive world of broadcast news.
My draw to the book was its focus on a television journalist who hob-knobs with celebrities, heads of state and American politicians while she juggles a career and a family life. Walters goes into great detail of growing up alongside her mentally disabled sister Jackie, her showman father Lou and later bringing up her adopted daughter Jackie (named after her sister).
Walters is candid in revealing her mistakes and especially her guilt. In no small measure she talks about how it's difficult - however otherwise it seems - for a woman to maintain a grasp on marriage (she's been married and divorced three times), to raise a well-adjusted daughter (who rebelled in her teen years) and to further her career (despite her huge success, she faced numerous challenges rising through the ranks of "Today" and later as co-anchor of the evening news with Harry Reasoner).
Walters talks about how she was ashamed of having a sister who was a drag on her social life. She talks about how it was hard to talk to her father late in his life, after his many successes and bitter failures. She talks about how she neglected her husbands and daughter. She not only expresses but is very aware of her guilt - but she hardly pities herself, is always grateful for her tremendous success and thankful to the many hands that helped her along the way.
Not surprising, Walters's book is at its best when she's being most honest: She never acts like she had it all, and she describes what she gave up to get where she is. Though at times she provides maybe too much detail about her own struggles, one can't help but sympathize with her as she describes her life being pulled in different directions. But eventually she decides she's talked enough about herself, and the book abruptly switches gears and she talks about the last 25 years of interviewing movie stars, presidents, first ladies, murderers, white-collar criminals, Monica Lewinsky and her tenure on 20/20 and The View.
The gossipy tidbits, while interesting, are also mildly empty after she stops intertwining her personal life with the struggles and triumphs of her career. While an alternate work that evenly mixed personal and professional may have been a staggering 900-page memoir, it would have been a complete work instead of one that feels like it may have become tiresome for its author as she neared completion (or maybe cut by a non-judicious editor).
But that's not to say the tidbits aren't anything but fascinating. Her chapter focusing on interviewing and getting to know presidents and first ladies is one of the best of the book. Most revealing is her story about interviewing Gerald and Betty Ford. Betty, who was apparently drunk and slurring words throughout the interview, was mercifully saved by Walters, who opted to narrate over parts featuring Betty instead of showing her in an inebriated state - a decision, she says, she would have never made today.
Sadly, no juicy tidbits for Walters's chapters on The View - which provide detail but no real insight on her very public spats with Star Jones, Rosie O'Donnell, Donald Trump, etc. (as my friend Debbie said, maybe she was afraid of lawsuit...). Nor does Walters get too descriptive of her highly-rated interview with Monica Lewinsky - which was seen by more than 50 million viewers less than a month after President Clinton was acquitted by the U.S. Senate.
Despite its late-book shortcomings, it is an exceptional book - a genuine work full of insight on women's careers, journalism and the highly competitive world of broadcast news.
May 11, 2022
Review originally published July 2008
Audition couldn’t be a more perfect title for Barbara Walter’s candid, graceful memoir. Audition is her story, from childhood, where her perception of the world was formed, to her groundbreaking career in television where she made it to the top in a male-dominated industry.
I found her stories about her family fascinating. Her father, Lou Walters, the creator of the Latin Quarter nightclub, was always a risk-taker and Barbara saw him make and lose several fortunes. She lived with plenty of financial and emotional insecurity, which played a large part in the choices she made throughout her life, in friendships, relationships, marriages, and finances.
Barbara Walters graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, and it was in those years that she learned to ask questions and listen. She learned never to be afraid of speaking up. She considered herself introverted prior to college but her experiences at Sarah Lawrence had a profound effect on her future success.
The book is full of detailed stories and accounts of people that came in and out of Barbara’s life. Many are still her friends today and/or had a large impact on her life and career: Lee Stevens, Alan Greenspan, Nancy Reagan, and Roone Arledge, to name just a few.
Her memoir also reads like a history of the three major television networks, the rise of ABC, the changes in TV news and personnel, and the big business that TV news has become.
One of the best career stories was Barbara’s trip to Israel for her interview with Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat in November 1977. She had to take initiative, move fast, and think fast to pull off this monumental, history-making interview. Wow!
She has interviewed every president and first lady since Nixon. She knows some personally like George H.W. Bush. She first met him in the sixties, but got to know him in 1971 when he came to New York to begin a three-year appointment as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. They had mutual friends.
Marriage was never her strong suit. She admits that many times. She realized she wasn’t the marrying kind or just never found her complement. We all saw the headlines about her personal life, but I found the accounts about her relationships and three marriages so interesting and diary-like.
The most revealing part of her memoir is about her sister Jackie and her daughter Jackie. Her sister was mildly retarded, but in those days there weren’t programs, schools, or much support of any kind. Barbara’s parents sheltered Jackie her whole life and expected Barbara to take her along and provide for her.
Guilt was an underlying theme throughout Barbara’s life. Her daughter Jackie, adopted at birth, went through teenage turmoil, drugs, and behavior issues. Both “Jackie” stories are fascinating reading.
Barbara Walters has been auditioning her whole life. She moved with her family many times as a young girl so there were always “auditions” in new schools. After college, she continued to “audition” in her professional life as she moved up the ladder in the television news industry.
She and ABC took major growth steps together. She felt she was always auditioning for a new job or making sure she kept the one she had. She writes just like she talks, and I felt I was listening to her speak!
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
Audition couldn’t be a more perfect title for Barbara Walter’s candid, graceful memoir. Audition is her story, from childhood, where her perception of the world was formed, to her groundbreaking career in television where she made it to the top in a male-dominated industry.
I found her stories about her family fascinating. Her father, Lou Walters, the creator of the Latin Quarter nightclub, was always a risk-taker and Barbara saw him make and lose several fortunes. She lived with plenty of financial and emotional insecurity, which played a large part in the choices she made throughout her life, in friendships, relationships, marriages, and finances.
Barbara Walters graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, and it was in those years that she learned to ask questions and listen. She learned never to be afraid of speaking up. She considered herself introverted prior to college but her experiences at Sarah Lawrence had a profound effect on her future success.
The book is full of detailed stories and accounts of people that came in and out of Barbara’s life. Many are still her friends today and/or had a large impact on her life and career: Lee Stevens, Alan Greenspan, Nancy Reagan, and Roone Arledge, to name just a few.
Her memoir also reads like a history of the three major television networks, the rise of ABC, the changes in TV news and personnel, and the big business that TV news has become.
One of the best career stories was Barbara’s trip to Israel for her interview with Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat in November 1977. She had to take initiative, move fast, and think fast to pull off this monumental, history-making interview. Wow!
She has interviewed every president and first lady since Nixon. She knows some personally like George H.W. Bush. She first met him in the sixties, but got to know him in 1971 when he came to New York to begin a three-year appointment as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. They had mutual friends.
Marriage was never her strong suit. She admits that many times. She realized she wasn’t the marrying kind or just never found her complement. We all saw the headlines about her personal life, but I found the accounts about her relationships and three marriages so interesting and diary-like.
The most revealing part of her memoir is about her sister Jackie and her daughter Jackie. Her sister was mildly retarded, but in those days there weren’t programs, schools, or much support of any kind. Barbara’s parents sheltered Jackie her whole life and expected Barbara to take her along and provide for her.
Guilt was an underlying theme throughout Barbara’s life. Her daughter Jackie, adopted at birth, went through teenage turmoil, drugs, and behavior issues. Both “Jackie” stories are fascinating reading.
Barbara Walters has been auditioning her whole life. She moved with her family many times as a young girl so there were always “auditions” in new schools. After college, she continued to “audition” in her professional life as she moved up the ladder in the television news industry.
She and ABC took major growth steps together. She felt she was always auditioning for a new job or making sure she kept the one she had. She writes just like she talks, and I felt I was listening to her speak!
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
January 29, 2023
I loved this from cover to cover… all 580+ pages 😂 I’ve been obsessed with broadcast news/journalism since I was a kid, so my respect and admiration for Barbara Walters goes back as far as when I’d watch her co-anchor 20/20 with Hugh Downs in the 90s. Since I’m a devoted Today show fan, I particularly appreciated reading about her start with that show back before I was born.
Reading this was like taking a walk through history. In many books (particularly lengthier ones), I often find myself counting down the pages and attempting to blaze through the text, but this book was quite the opposite - I couldn’t help but absorb each and every detail, and I actually learned more history than I anticipated, given the details she recounts of some of the most reputed world leaders and celebrities.
You can’t help but reflect on how incredible her achievements have been, in light of the environment she was trying to advance in. She is the picture of hustle, and I appreciate how candid she was in this memoir - sharing her hardships and regrets just as candidly as her blessings and success.
Such a remarkable life with an untouchable legacy that will span the generations. My respect for this trailblazer has only grown exponentially by reading this memoir.
Reading this was like taking a walk through history. In many books (particularly lengthier ones), I often find myself counting down the pages and attempting to blaze through the text, but this book was quite the opposite - I couldn’t help but absorb each and every detail, and I actually learned more history than I anticipated, given the details she recounts of some of the most reputed world leaders and celebrities.
You can’t help but reflect on how incredible her achievements have been, in light of the environment she was trying to advance in. She is the picture of hustle, and I appreciate how candid she was in this memoir - sharing her hardships and regrets just as candidly as her blessings and success.
Such a remarkable life with an untouchable legacy that will span the generations. My respect for this trailblazer has only grown exponentially by reading this memoir.
August 24, 2014
Barbara Walters presents a thrilling and revealing look into her life in this substantial memoir. Aptly titling the book AUDITION, Walters is able to effectively address three interconnected spheres of her life, all of which deal with forms of auditions. These spheres help shape the highly complex and competitive life that she has lived. Walters keeps her chronological narrative moving forward, all while she presents a plethora of anecdotes and stories about her rise to fame and the countless number of people she encountered along the way. Walters addresses auditions in her personal life, work life, and (seemingly repetitive) journalistic life, clearly defining their differences but weaving the larger narrative together in seamless manner so as to entice the reader from the opening paragraph through to the final credits. A gem in the memoir/biography genre, perfect for the reader who seeks entertainment alongside their learning curve.
Walters addresses personal auditions throughout the novel in a timely and effective manner. Her father, Lou, was ensconced in show business around North American throughout Walters' young life, forcing her to move all over the United States. These moves required that she acquaint herself with people wherever she went. Walters laments having to 'audition' each time she went to a new location in order to fit in with those around her. As she grew older, Walters also had to audition herself and her family when allowing people to get close to her. With an intellectually challenged sister and a father whose primary focus was cabaret-style night life, Walters was never sure if she would 'pass' the test of her friends or face isolation, Throughout the book, even into their adult lives, Walters addresses the need to have her sister close at hand (or her mother's plight of the same issue), which led to a new round of auditions, where she would only let a select number of friends into that inner circle, aware of everything going on in her life. Add to these auditions, Walters' romantic and personal connections which required her to audition for attention outside of the public eye, both in her three marriages and the bond with her daughter, and the reader can see what she means as she bemoans needing to fulfil yet another audition throughout her life.
Walters also needed to undertake many an audition in her work life. By this, I mean her need to climb up many a ladder and cut through the glass ceilings placed before her. Walters made a name for herself in an era when television was emerging, and on-screen news was an American norm and ratings mattered. While a norm, television news was still a male-dominated industry, leaving few opportunities for women, save the weather and 'tea pouring'. Walters illustrates her fight to make a name for herself, first as a writer and then as an on-air personality, on NBC's Today, where she bucked many a trend. Battling top newsmen of the day, Walters faced them down and forge a key role as a daily member of the on-air team, where she undertook working on many special assignments before she was able to negotiate a co-host role on Today. Becoming the first female co-anchor of a national news program when she moved to ABC, Walters paved the way for others to follow suit, all after her audition to show that women were not only capable, but belonged in the position. This is not to say that things always went smoothly, for she suffered many setbacks and frustrations along the way. Working alongside the likes of Harry Reasoner and John Chancellor in her rise to fame, Walters was often left feeling second-rate and out of sorts. It was only her work, in those early days, with Hugh Downs, where she felt the true teamwork aura that kept her striving for more on a daily basis. Moving into her niche, on 20/20, Walters was able to corner the market for years and has used her interview technique to forge yet another name for herself in her workplace, leaving countless other women to strive to be just like her, or use her success as a stepping block to their own futures. In the latter portion of the book, no longer seeking to 'audition' for the American public, Walters created The View, which blossomed into a stellar piece of daytime television, all because of the hard work she undertook in the previous 30+ years.
The third sphere, which may appear to partially replicate the aforementioned section,is her audition in the world of journalism. Separate from her trying to climb the ladder within the news industry, Walters had to audition her reporting style to executives, the viewing public, as well as those she sought to interview. While many journalists find themselves focused on bringing the story home, Walters illustrates that, for her, the importance was the key interview, which helped begin the process of building a foundation on which the story can be told. Her interviews with the likes of Castro, Begin, Sadat, Lewinsky, Eastwood, Carter, and a plethora of others came at a price, whereby Walters auditioned her class and interview style such that she was the sought-after journalist. Walters opened many doors for herself and the two networks she called home through her poignant style and persistent nature. Walters illustrates this passion to journalism and the quiver full of connections she acquired over the years in order to present the most thorough and captivating interviews and news pieces. To this day, or at least to the point of the memoir's publication, Walters has made it her promise to always bring the story to the viewer in the most unbiased manner possible. She was able, by winning over those with a story to tell, many 'scoop' interviews. These led to many a newsworthy story and she illustrated throughout the book that these, in turn, paved the way for future successes in her storied career.
Walters also treats the reader to so many wonderful stories, telling her side of historic events and revealing some of the antics to which she would go to get the story. Admittedly, I was not conscious of Walters' journalistic life before 20/20, so much of what she told was insightful and new to me. I highly enjoyed her stories about the role she played, somewhat inadvertently, in Iran Contra and almost lost her job for passing secrets to Reagan. Additionally, her decisive role in the Middle East Peace talks between Begin and Sadat, both in the Middle East and Washington, played a pivotal role in presenting the news to the American public in a swift and objective manner. Her down to earth ability to relate to many of those she interviewed, making them feel important even when they inconvenienced her to no end, is not lost in the pages of this book and does allow the reader to sit back and marvel at the number of people whose lives she brought to the viewing public over the years.
Perhaps one of the most well-respected women in American journalism, Walters has done so much and sought to open new doors for herself and others. Juggling a less than calm personal life while the world continued to forge ahead, Walters took things in stride and faced adversity, rather than shy away from it. A stunning woman and an even more stunning read for any reader who wishes to invest the time into learning about the major events that shaped North American journalism in the 20th century.
Kudos, Madam Walters for inviting us into your life at such a personal level, all in the hopes of shaping our opinions objectively.
Walters addresses personal auditions throughout the novel in a timely and effective manner. Her father, Lou, was ensconced in show business around North American throughout Walters' young life, forcing her to move all over the United States. These moves required that she acquaint herself with people wherever she went. Walters laments having to 'audition' each time she went to a new location in order to fit in with those around her. As she grew older, Walters also had to audition herself and her family when allowing people to get close to her. With an intellectually challenged sister and a father whose primary focus was cabaret-style night life, Walters was never sure if she would 'pass' the test of her friends or face isolation, Throughout the book, even into their adult lives, Walters addresses the need to have her sister close at hand (or her mother's plight of the same issue), which led to a new round of auditions, where she would only let a select number of friends into that inner circle, aware of everything going on in her life. Add to these auditions, Walters' romantic and personal connections which required her to audition for attention outside of the public eye, both in her three marriages and the bond with her daughter, and the reader can see what she means as she bemoans needing to fulfil yet another audition throughout her life.
Walters also needed to undertake many an audition in her work life. By this, I mean her need to climb up many a ladder and cut through the glass ceilings placed before her. Walters made a name for herself in an era when television was emerging, and on-screen news was an American norm and ratings mattered. While a norm, television news was still a male-dominated industry, leaving few opportunities for women, save the weather and 'tea pouring'. Walters illustrates her fight to make a name for herself, first as a writer and then as an on-air personality, on NBC's Today, where she bucked many a trend. Battling top newsmen of the day, Walters faced them down and forge a key role as a daily member of the on-air team, where she undertook working on many special assignments before she was able to negotiate a co-host role on Today. Becoming the first female co-anchor of a national news program when she moved to ABC, Walters paved the way for others to follow suit, all after her audition to show that women were not only capable, but belonged in the position. This is not to say that things always went smoothly, for she suffered many setbacks and frustrations along the way. Working alongside the likes of Harry Reasoner and John Chancellor in her rise to fame, Walters was often left feeling second-rate and out of sorts. It was only her work, in those early days, with Hugh Downs, where she felt the true teamwork aura that kept her striving for more on a daily basis. Moving into her niche, on 20/20, Walters was able to corner the market for years and has used her interview technique to forge yet another name for herself in her workplace, leaving countless other women to strive to be just like her, or use her success as a stepping block to their own futures. In the latter portion of the book, no longer seeking to 'audition' for the American public, Walters created The View, which blossomed into a stellar piece of daytime television, all because of the hard work she undertook in the previous 30+ years.
The third sphere, which may appear to partially replicate the aforementioned section,is her audition in the world of journalism. Separate from her trying to climb the ladder within the news industry, Walters had to audition her reporting style to executives, the viewing public, as well as those she sought to interview. While many journalists find themselves focused on bringing the story home, Walters illustrates that, for her, the importance was the key interview, which helped begin the process of building a foundation on which the story can be told. Her interviews with the likes of Castro, Begin, Sadat, Lewinsky, Eastwood, Carter, and a plethora of others came at a price, whereby Walters auditioned her class and interview style such that she was the sought-after journalist. Walters opened many doors for herself and the two networks she called home through her poignant style and persistent nature. Walters illustrates this passion to journalism and the quiver full of connections she acquired over the years in order to present the most thorough and captivating interviews and news pieces. To this day, or at least to the point of the memoir's publication, Walters has made it her promise to always bring the story to the viewer in the most unbiased manner possible. She was able, by winning over those with a story to tell, many 'scoop' interviews. These led to many a newsworthy story and she illustrated throughout the book that these, in turn, paved the way for future successes in her storied career.
Walters also treats the reader to so many wonderful stories, telling her side of historic events and revealing some of the antics to which she would go to get the story. Admittedly, I was not conscious of Walters' journalistic life before 20/20, so much of what she told was insightful and new to me. I highly enjoyed her stories about the role she played, somewhat inadvertently, in Iran Contra and almost lost her job for passing secrets to Reagan. Additionally, her decisive role in the Middle East Peace talks between Begin and Sadat, both in the Middle East and Washington, played a pivotal role in presenting the news to the American public in a swift and objective manner. Her down to earth ability to relate to many of those she interviewed, making them feel important even when they inconvenienced her to no end, is not lost in the pages of this book and does allow the reader to sit back and marvel at the number of people whose lives she brought to the viewing public over the years.
Perhaps one of the most well-respected women in American journalism, Walters has done so much and sought to open new doors for herself and others. Juggling a less than calm personal life while the world continued to forge ahead, Walters took things in stride and faced adversity, rather than shy away from it. A stunning woman and an even more stunning read for any reader who wishes to invest the time into learning about the major events that shaped North American journalism in the 20th century.
Kudos, Madam Walters for inviting us into your life at such a personal level, all in the hopes of shaping our opinions objectively.
January 2, 2015
I read this in 2008. It was chosen as a bookclub book so I'm overjoyed to read it again....
2008 review...
This was one of those books I got totally lost in. I would read it in the Y and before I knew it, I was on the bike for 7 miles and it felt like only 1. Barbara Walters was like a fixture on our shelf in our living room as a kid. Always there, but I didn't pay much attention to her. Looking back, I remember that fixture and I am reliving my childhood and all the memories of my family and the history of our time during the 60's and 70's. Yes, Barbara does a little bragging about her success in TV, as she should. However, she is also a very honest and down to earth celebrity. Although she felt comfortable in front of the camera, she did not always feel comfortable in her own skin, especially in her personal life. She felt a lot of guilt when it came to her family. Especially with her father and sister, Jackie. I admire her for her success as a woman. She paved the way for the opportunities that women have today. I also admire her for her candidness. She does not hold back in this book. She tells you the celebrities she liked to interview and those she did not. She was very honest about her professional relationships with her colleagues like Harry Reasoner, Frank McGee, Star Jones and Rosie O'Donnell. This book is a very thorough look at her life from beginning till now. It is a complete history of her life with humor sprinkled through out each chapter. I am so glad I read this book. It makes me want to learn more about her, watch "The View", listen to her new radio show that is replaying her "Specials" and google every name mentioned in her book. I also feel like I have completed a history lesson. A lesson through the eyes of one of the best female journalists of our time.To the woman who traveled everywhere, met almost every important person there was to meet and achieved more than ever imagined, thank you for setting an example for the woman of today. Bravo!!
2010 Review
First, It is amazing to me how much I forgot, after 2 years, about a book I've read. Rereading the parts about Barbara's childhood was interesting and I couldn't remember it from before. I'm impressed with the way she was able to recognize memories from her childhood and how it impacted her adult life. Especially, around famous people and how she handled them during interviews. She believes the atomosphere in her father's nightclubs educated her. " Those early years at the Latin Quarter also affected the way I later asked questions and listened to answers. I knew that the childhood years of most celebrities were their most poignant and oculd often explain their future choices, as of course, it has mine. I learned when to be quiet and just listen. And I knew what could bring tears."
"For the next 20-30 years, maybe even forty, I would feel no matter how high my profile became, how many awards I received, or how much money I made, may fear was that it all could be taken away from me. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to link that insecurity to my father's roller-coaster career or to my mother's constant anxiety or my sister's needs. I have, as I've said, always felt I was auditioning, either for a new job or to make sure that I could hold on to the one I had.
Important events and people mentioned in this book:
Al Capone
Joe Kennedy
WWII
The Rosenburg Trial and Roy M. Cohn
The sinking of the Andrea Doria
Interviews
Judy Garland
Truman Capote
Rose Kennedy
Lawrence Olivier
Warren Beaty-not one of her favorite interviews
Princess Grace-another one of her not so favorites
Arafat-This is the interview where 2 of her colleagues were killed flying the interview feed to Jordan. She was almost on that plane.
Begin and Sadat
Here is a quote from Reagan when Barbara was visiting him on his ranch. He just blurted this out while he was showing her around. Amazing! "I've always believed that there was some plan that put this continent here to be found by people from every corner of the world who had the courage and the love of freedom enough to uproot themselves, leave family and friends and homeland, to come here and develop a whole new breed of people called American. You look at the beauty of it. And God really did shed his grace on America as the song says."
I like Barbara's comment about why she doesn't give her political views on camera. This is one of the things I really like about her.
Here's a quote from Margaret Thatcher. A Quote Margaret's father said to her "You never just go and do something because someone else is doing it. That is wrong. You never just follow the crowd for the sake of following the crowd because you don't like to stand out. You make up your own mind about what is right. And then you try to persuade other people to follow you."
After reading this book again, I realized why I loved this book so much. Barbara is a fascinating woman and a great writer. This book was WELL written. Plus, her interviews of just about all the famous people in the last 30 years, are so interesting. I learned a lot from this book and I like Barbar Walters. That's about it in a nut shell.
2008 review...
This was one of those books I got totally lost in. I would read it in the Y and before I knew it, I was on the bike for 7 miles and it felt like only 1. Barbara Walters was like a fixture on our shelf in our living room as a kid. Always there, but I didn't pay much attention to her. Looking back, I remember that fixture and I am reliving my childhood and all the memories of my family and the history of our time during the 60's and 70's. Yes, Barbara does a little bragging about her success in TV, as she should. However, she is also a very honest and down to earth celebrity. Although she felt comfortable in front of the camera, she did not always feel comfortable in her own skin, especially in her personal life. She felt a lot of guilt when it came to her family. Especially with her father and sister, Jackie. I admire her for her success as a woman. She paved the way for the opportunities that women have today. I also admire her for her candidness. She does not hold back in this book. She tells you the celebrities she liked to interview and those she did not. She was very honest about her professional relationships with her colleagues like Harry Reasoner, Frank McGee, Star Jones and Rosie O'Donnell. This book is a very thorough look at her life from beginning till now. It is a complete history of her life with humor sprinkled through out each chapter. I am so glad I read this book. It makes me want to learn more about her, watch "The View", listen to her new radio show that is replaying her "Specials" and google every name mentioned in her book. I also feel like I have completed a history lesson. A lesson through the eyes of one of the best female journalists of our time.To the woman who traveled everywhere, met almost every important person there was to meet and achieved more than ever imagined, thank you for setting an example for the woman of today. Bravo!!
2010 Review
First, It is amazing to me how much I forgot, after 2 years, about a book I've read. Rereading the parts about Barbara's childhood was interesting and I couldn't remember it from before. I'm impressed with the way she was able to recognize memories from her childhood and how it impacted her adult life. Especially, around famous people and how she handled them during interviews. She believes the atomosphere in her father's nightclubs educated her. " Those early years at the Latin Quarter also affected the way I later asked questions and listened to answers. I knew that the childhood years of most celebrities were their most poignant and oculd often explain their future choices, as of course, it has mine. I learned when to be quiet and just listen. And I knew what could bring tears."
"For the next 20-30 years, maybe even forty, I would feel no matter how high my profile became, how many awards I received, or how much money I made, may fear was that it all could be taken away from me. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to link that insecurity to my father's roller-coaster career or to my mother's constant anxiety or my sister's needs. I have, as I've said, always felt I was auditioning, either for a new job or to make sure that I could hold on to the one I had.
Important events and people mentioned in this book:
Al Capone
Joe Kennedy
WWII
The Rosenburg Trial and Roy M. Cohn
The sinking of the Andrea Doria
Interviews
Judy Garland
Truman Capote
Rose Kennedy
Lawrence Olivier
Warren Beaty-not one of her favorite interviews
Princess Grace-another one of her not so favorites
Arafat-This is the interview where 2 of her colleagues were killed flying the interview feed to Jordan. She was almost on that plane.
Begin and Sadat
Here is a quote from Reagan when Barbara was visiting him on his ranch. He just blurted this out while he was showing her around. Amazing! "I've always believed that there was some plan that put this continent here to be found by people from every corner of the world who had the courage and the love of freedom enough to uproot themselves, leave family and friends and homeland, to come here and develop a whole new breed of people called American. You look at the beauty of it. And God really did shed his grace on America as the song says."
I like Barbara's comment about why she doesn't give her political views on camera. This is one of the things I really like about her.
Here's a quote from Margaret Thatcher. A Quote Margaret's father said to her "You never just go and do something because someone else is doing it. That is wrong. You never just follow the crowd for the sake of following the crowd because you don't like to stand out. You make up your own mind about what is right. And then you try to persuade other people to follow you."
After reading this book again, I realized why I loved this book so much. Barbara is a fascinating woman and a great writer. This book was WELL written. Plus, her interviews of just about all the famous people in the last 30 years, are so interesting. I learned a lot from this book and I like Barbar Walters. That's about it in a nut shell.
March 12, 2023
Barbara Walters writes the way she talks and the informal style is conversational and pleasant. But something essential is missing in Barbara's recounting of her life. There is sadness and melodrama, affairs and broken marriages, professional triumphs and personal loss on every page in this lengthy book. Barbara is quite honest and critical in her self assessments and does not gloss over her personal mistakes. Nonetheless her life's meaning seems to be about "celebrity", not a surprise considering her reputation.
I didn't get a sense of an interior spiritual life, an inner sense of moral boundaries, of what is right and what is wrong. Barbara is a loyal friend to those who have been good to her. For example the late Roy Cohn had her father's IRS taxes and penalties "fixed" for which she is eternally grateful. She testifies to Roy's good character (???)at his disbarrment hearing in New York out of such loyalty. He was rightfully disbarred regardless, for other extensive ethics violations. She is appalled that a retired Cabinet official takes a taxi like the rest of us and doesn't have a government paid driver for life. She has affairs with married men without any sense of guilt.
Barbara was raised without any formal religion despite being ethnically Jewish. Yet countless others raised that way develop their own sense of higher purpose. Hers seems to be all about self-promotion and fame. Perhaps I am being harsh, but this memoir has the feel of one of her TV specials. She has a detachment from herself that is unsatisfying to the reader, like eating junk food. The book's length will fill you up, but it lacks any nutritional value or substance.
She certainly was a traiblazer for women in television and her recounting of that journey is the best part of an otherwise disappointing memoir.
I didn't get a sense of an interior spiritual life, an inner sense of moral boundaries, of what is right and what is wrong. Barbara is a loyal friend to those who have been good to her. For example the late Roy Cohn had her father's IRS taxes and penalties "fixed" for which she is eternally grateful. She testifies to Roy's good character (???)at his disbarrment hearing in New York out of such loyalty. He was rightfully disbarred regardless, for other extensive ethics violations. She is appalled that a retired Cabinet official takes a taxi like the rest of us and doesn't have a government paid driver for life. She has affairs with married men without any sense of guilt.
Barbara was raised without any formal religion despite being ethnically Jewish. Yet countless others raised that way develop their own sense of higher purpose. Hers seems to be all about self-promotion and fame. Perhaps I am being harsh, but this memoir has the feel of one of her TV specials. She has a detachment from herself that is unsatisfying to the reader, like eating junk food. The book's length will fill you up, but it lacks any nutritional value or substance.
She certainly was a traiblazer for women in television and her recounting of that journey is the best part of an otherwise disappointing memoir.
December 29, 2008
I slugged through this book! Her early life was most interesting. But really tired of the intimate details of everything else. What? Did she keep a journal? How did she remember what everyone said? And the name dropping really got to me. I was determined to finish it, but it was done with a lot of speed reading.
July 18, 2008
I'm really torn about this book. I wanted to enjoy it. I've always looked up to and been fascinated by Barbara Walters. However, she herself has changed that view. First of all, I expected the book to be a little better written. Her sentence structure wasn't always the best. Anyway, I didn't know that Ms. Walters had had a sister that was mentally challenged. I definitely didn't know that Ms. Walters basically ran away from her family responsibilities with her parents and sister after she was an adult. There are many times in this book where Ms. Walters says I know I should feel guilty about whatever but I really just want to be free from them. Ms. Walters wasn't around for any of their deaths and even lied to her mother about her sister's passing.
With my occupation, it's hard for me to read about Barbara Walters making a decision to adopt a child and then leaving her all the time. She hires two ladies after her divorce as babysitters to her daughter, Jackie and then leaves Jackie while she goes off chasing stories. She didn't even make a police report when Jackie disappears for a month or more and is found in Kansas. I just found this so irresponsible and that's not the picture that I had of her. I think if a biographer had written this book unauthorized it might have been easier for me to take but Barbara herself wrote this book.
Now the good parts. She definitely wrote a book warts and all. I loved the fact that I could relive my life with this book. I remember so many of her interviews or the events she describes. It was fascinating to learn a lot of the behind the scenes of the programs and interviews. I loved her talking about her times at the Today show. Definitely liked the chapter about The View. Overall, I think it is a fascinating information book about a pioneer in the world of female news reporting, but just realize that Barbara Walters has some flaws and she lets them all hang out.
With my occupation, it's hard for me to read about Barbara Walters making a decision to adopt a child and then leaving her all the time. She hires two ladies after her divorce as babysitters to her daughter, Jackie and then leaves Jackie while she goes off chasing stories. She didn't even make a police report when Jackie disappears for a month or more and is found in Kansas. I just found this so irresponsible and that's not the picture that I had of her. I think if a biographer had written this book unauthorized it might have been easier for me to take but Barbara herself wrote this book.
Now the good parts. She definitely wrote a book warts and all. I loved the fact that I could relive my life with this book. I remember so many of her interviews or the events she describes. It was fascinating to learn a lot of the behind the scenes of the programs and interviews. I loved her talking about her times at the Today show. Definitely liked the chapter about The View. Overall, I think it is a fascinating information book about a pioneer in the world of female news reporting, but just realize that Barbara Walters has some flaws and she lets them all hang out.
March 3, 2009
The early reminisces of her childhood are far more engaging than the disconnected series of remembered interviews. Far too much attention to what everyone wears and how it coordinates for my taste, but perhaps she needed this to work in TV. But the repeated use of the phrase "I've never said this before" makes me question whether I am now, in truth, getting the "whole" story.
I found the Monica Lewinsky story a little disturbing, because it describes some of the wining and dining she, and many other journalists, were doing in order to cozy up to potential interviewees. But that makes it sound like I didn't like the book. I thought it was clearly written, informative, and engaging, if a bit longwinded, and I learned a great deal about one of my childhood heroines.
I found the Monica Lewinsky story a little disturbing, because it describes some of the wining and dining she, and many other journalists, were doing in order to cozy up to potential interviewees. But that makes it sound like I didn't like the book. I thought it was clearly written, informative, and engaging, if a bit longwinded, and I learned a great deal about one of my childhood heroines.
April 1, 2017
This was a great read. Beautifully written. Well organized. Fascinating. She intertwined her own life, the tough road she traveled and conquered and riveting descriptions of her encounters with others famous and not.
November 15, 2019
My favorite moment in this is when Barbara Walters mentions she was dating both Alan Greenspan and Alan C. Greenberg. They would leave messages on her voicemail saying “It’s Alan.” To which she couldn’t infer which Alan it was except by their tone of voice or manner of speech.
January 25, 2023
My mom and aunt often reminisce about Walter Cronkite with a type of fondness akin to a family member. I feel similarly of Barbara Walters. Growing up I remember sitting with my mom watching Barbara interviews. She represented a dependable, honest taste of journalism we don’t often get anymore. Losing her this past New Year’s Eve felt like losing another constant in my life. A few days later when I happened to go to a bookstore and saw Auditions on the very bottom shelf for a $1 (undervalued) it was a sign from Barbara Walters.
It is remarkable to read Barbara’s story from her childhood at her fathers night club the Latin Quarter (she is a nepo baby but I swear a good one) and the complexity of having a disabled sister in a time without sufficient resources to help to slowly climbing the ranks at NBC butting heads with some ding dong men along the way and then her giant leap to ABC that caused some serious splashes. I already knew she interviewed everyone but turns out she’s interviewed EVERYONE and if she hasn’t interviewed them she’s met them or is friends with them. The book is thick and includes several additional anecdotes that from anyone else would be boring but it’s literally Barbara Walters casually mentioning she was on Judge Judy’s yacht when she got a call from the Dalai Lama or something insane. She interviewed the good, the bad, and the ugly but always understood that people are grey including herself. If I didn’t appreciate her before this book I sure as hell do now.
Feminism is a hard thing. Sometimes you need to throw yourself in front a horse like Emily Davison and sometimes you need to keep trudging along at NBC until somehow you’re the first female coanchor of the Today Show. Both aren’t fun and the former is probably much less fun than the latter, but both paved path for women in meaningful ways. It takes all kinds and a great deal of female newscasters could not have had the careers they had without Barbara Walters. You too Oprah.
Though we’ve lost her I hope she is having a ball with all her friends but most importantly her dad, mom, and dear sister Jackie. I hope one day I can say “I’ve already done that” too. Thanks Barbara.
It is remarkable to read Barbara’s story from her childhood at her fathers night club the Latin Quarter (she is a nepo baby but I swear a good one) and the complexity of having a disabled sister in a time without sufficient resources to help to slowly climbing the ranks at NBC butting heads with some ding dong men along the way and then her giant leap to ABC that caused some serious splashes. I already knew she interviewed everyone but turns out she’s interviewed EVERYONE and if she hasn’t interviewed them she’s met them or is friends with them. The book is thick and includes several additional anecdotes that from anyone else would be boring but it’s literally Barbara Walters casually mentioning she was on Judge Judy’s yacht when she got a call from the Dalai Lama or something insane. She interviewed the good, the bad, and the ugly but always understood that people are grey including herself. If I didn’t appreciate her before this book I sure as hell do now.
Feminism is a hard thing. Sometimes you need to throw yourself in front a horse like Emily Davison and sometimes you need to keep trudging along at NBC until somehow you’re the first female coanchor of the Today Show. Both aren’t fun and the former is probably much less fun than the latter, but both paved path for women in meaningful ways. It takes all kinds and a great deal of female newscasters could not have had the careers they had without Barbara Walters. You too Oprah.
Though we’ve lost her I hope she is having a ball with all her friends but most importantly her dad, mom, and dear sister Jackie. I hope one day I can say “I’ve already done that” too. Thanks Barbara.
March 4, 2019
Well, Barbara has certainly led an interesting life. She has met kings and queens, every president since Richard Nixon, and hundreds of the most famous actors and actresses. The beginning of the book talks about her early life and after she gets into the news business she talks about many of her experiences meeting famous and infamous people. The book is well-organized. Most of the time it is chronilogical but sometimes it is organized into the type of people she interviewed, such as grouping the presidents together and the criminals together. I found this book very interesting, but at times thought it could have been a bit shorter, but then I dont know what she could have left out. I found it to be honest, she readily admits mistakes she made both persoanally and professionally. It is amazing that she so often says that the people she has met have become life-long friends, but there are a few she didnt get along with. The book is long but worth the read.
February 29, 2024
Babs was a bit of a nepo baby..and was friends with Henry Kissinger and Roy Cohn and said Putin had a good sense of humor.
July 5, 2023
Such a fascinating human, this just told her story! It was very interesting to hear things from her perspective and where she came from and how it impacted her life! Worth the read!
January 3, 2009
Is Barbara A Journalist Or Is She Cher?" asks WalterCronkite, May 22, 2008
"Walters nonetheless takes care to report on the very public drubbing she received at the hands of her male peers during the summer between her departure from "Today" and the start of her tenure at ABC. "I am trying to have an open mind about it," was the less-than-supportive statement her future co-anchor Harry Reasoner made to the papers. CBS News president Richard Salant asked, "Is Barbara a journalist or is she Cher?" while Walter Cronkite announced that Walters' move gave him "the sickening sensation that we're all going under." Rebecca Traister
By now Barbara Walters has been on every TV, radio and media event to publicize her new book, 'Audition'. There is very little we do not know about her. Barbara is an icon to many, as she was the first woman to co-star on NBC's 'Today'. She went on to appear on ABC's nightly news with Harry Reasoner. Her unfortunate experiences colored the feeling so many women had towards Barbara's male colleagues. She certainly tried to break the barriers.
Barbara's early childhood was difficult but it gave her a certain confidence on how to relate with almost anyone. Her father, Lou Walters, was rarely home and at one point wanted a divorce from his wife. Barbara's mother cajoled her into going to her father and begging him not to leave his family. From that moment on what interview could be more difficult than that? As we are learn the interviews came one after another and Barbara became the competitive woman she is today. She tells us in this book, that she is through auditioning, but if, someone were to call her and say that Osama Ben Laden was willing to grant an interview, she would be ready. Barbara tells us of the difficulty she had with her young daughter, Jackie. Jackie became a drug addict and left home. Barbara assisted Jackie in putting her life together and today they have a wonderful relationship. Jackie was named after Barbara's sister Jackie. She was disabled and Barbara spent much if her childhood alone. She did not want to bring anyone home. Though Barbara was very attentive to her sister and to her familyh. At a certain point in her life, she was the breadwinner for the entire family.
Barbara has been married three times. Many wonder if Barbara has been looking for her father. Why do we care and why do we wonder? Barbara reveals the loves and lives of some of the men she met along the way. The most shocking to many people, was her affair with Sen. Edward Brooks. With these revelations, Barbara has attempted to show us that she is a regular person who has had a life of ups and downs, miseries and happiness . She has experienced a life that most of us would envy but she wonders if she had the time to appreciate all that her life afforded. She has interviewed most of the famous people in her world. But did she have fun during this time?
"Surely the finest and most revealing moment in "Audition" comes near the end, when Walters describes being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, for O magazine, on the occasion of her retirement from "20/20." Oprah asks her what it "means" to be Barbara Walters, a question that may exceed even the high Walters-ian bar for pop-psych pseudo-depth. Walters responds that she's not sure. "I realize how blessed I have been but sometimes I still feel inadequate," she tells Oprah. "I don't cook. I can't drive. Most of the time, when I look back on what I've done, I think: Did I do that? Why didn't I enjoy it more? Was I working too hard to see?" As Walters reports in her book, "I looked up at Oprah and saw that she had tears in her eyes." And there it is, the meaning of Barbara Walters. She can even make her interviewer cry." Nicholas Lemann
'Audition' has been likened to Katharine Graham's autobiography, 'Personal History'. There is a slight resemblance, but what is missing from Barbara Walter's book is the frankness of Katharine Graham. The inner revelation of the woman, and the one story after another of the public people she has interviewed. There are not enough stories interwoven to bring this storyline continuity. However, this book is highly entertaining and even at its great length, 579 pages.
Recommended. prisrob 05-22-08
"Walters nonetheless takes care to report on the very public drubbing she received at the hands of her male peers during the summer between her departure from "Today" and the start of her tenure at ABC. "I am trying to have an open mind about it," was the less-than-supportive statement her future co-anchor Harry Reasoner made to the papers. CBS News president Richard Salant asked, "Is Barbara a journalist or is she Cher?" while Walter Cronkite announced that Walters' move gave him "the sickening sensation that we're all going under." Rebecca Traister
By now Barbara Walters has been on every TV, radio and media event to publicize her new book, 'Audition'. There is very little we do not know about her. Barbara is an icon to many, as she was the first woman to co-star on NBC's 'Today'. She went on to appear on ABC's nightly news with Harry Reasoner. Her unfortunate experiences colored the feeling so many women had towards Barbara's male colleagues. She certainly tried to break the barriers.
Barbara's early childhood was difficult but it gave her a certain confidence on how to relate with almost anyone. Her father, Lou Walters, was rarely home and at one point wanted a divorce from his wife. Barbara's mother cajoled her into going to her father and begging him not to leave his family. From that moment on what interview could be more difficult than that? As we are learn the interviews came one after another and Barbara became the competitive woman she is today. She tells us in this book, that she is through auditioning, but if, someone were to call her and say that Osama Ben Laden was willing to grant an interview, she would be ready. Barbara tells us of the difficulty she had with her young daughter, Jackie. Jackie became a drug addict and left home. Barbara assisted Jackie in putting her life together and today they have a wonderful relationship. Jackie was named after Barbara's sister Jackie. She was disabled and Barbara spent much if her childhood alone. She did not want to bring anyone home. Though Barbara was very attentive to her sister and to her familyh. At a certain point in her life, she was the breadwinner for the entire family.
Barbara has been married three times. Many wonder if Barbara has been looking for her father. Why do we care and why do we wonder? Barbara reveals the loves and lives of some of the men she met along the way. The most shocking to many people, was her affair with Sen. Edward Brooks. With these revelations, Barbara has attempted to show us that she is a regular person who has had a life of ups and downs, miseries and happiness . She has experienced a life that most of us would envy but she wonders if she had the time to appreciate all that her life afforded. She has interviewed most of the famous people in her world. But did she have fun during this time?
"Surely the finest and most revealing moment in "Audition" comes near the end, when Walters describes being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, for O magazine, on the occasion of her retirement from "20/20." Oprah asks her what it "means" to be Barbara Walters, a question that may exceed even the high Walters-ian bar for pop-psych pseudo-depth. Walters responds that she's not sure. "I realize how blessed I have been but sometimes I still feel inadequate," she tells Oprah. "I don't cook. I can't drive. Most of the time, when I look back on what I've done, I think: Did I do that? Why didn't I enjoy it more? Was I working too hard to see?" As Walters reports in her book, "I looked up at Oprah and saw that she had tears in her eyes." And there it is, the meaning of Barbara Walters. She can even make her interviewer cry." Nicholas Lemann
'Audition' has been likened to Katharine Graham's autobiography, 'Personal History'. There is a slight resemblance, but what is missing from Barbara Walter's book is the frankness of Katharine Graham. The inner revelation of the woman, and the one story after another of the public people she has interviewed. There are not enough stories interwoven to bring this storyline continuity. However, this book is highly entertaining and even at its great length, 579 pages.
Recommended. prisrob 05-22-08
August 6, 2018
سأعترف بخجل أنني لم أسمع بـ"باربرا والترز" قبل هذا الكتاب. والآن أستطيع أن أقول: يا لتلك السيرة المذهلة! أي شخص في العالم تعيش مع سيرة حياته شهراً كاملاً دون أن تشعر بالملل؟ وأي ذاكرة تمتلكها تلك المرأة الثمانينية التي حاورت جميع مشاهير العالم تقريباً؟ وكيف استطاعت الحفاظ على ذلك الخيط الرفيع بين الحديث الممل عن النفس وبين ا��تفاصيل المشوقة التي يهتم الناس لمعرفتها حقاً؟
إنها باربرا والترز :)
الكتاب متوفر على النت للتحميل الإلكتروني المجاني بنسخته العربية.
إنها باربرا والترز :)
الكتاب متوفر على النت للتحميل الإلكتروني المجاني بنسخته العربية.
April 10, 2009
From dust jacket:
"And now, at last, the most important woman in the history of television journalism gives us that "whole package", in her inspiring and riveting memoir. After more than forty years of interviewing heads of state, world leaders, movie stars, criminals, murderers, inspirational figures, and celebrities of all kinds, Barbara Walters has turned her gift for examination onto herself to reveal the forces that shaped her extraordinary life.
Barbara Walters's perception of the world was formed at a very early age. Her father, Lou Walters, was the owner and creative mind behind the legendary Latin Quarter nightclub, and it was his risk-taking lifestyle that gave Barbara her first taste of glamour. It also made her aware of the ups and downs, the insecurities, and even the tragedies that can occur when someone is willing to take great risks, for Lou Walters didn't just make several fortunes - he also lost them. Barbara learned early about the damage that such an existence can do to relationships - between husband and wife as well as between parent and child. Through her roller-coaster ride of a childhood, Barbara had a close ccompanion, her mentally challenged sister, Jackie. True, Jackie taught her younger sister much about patience and compassion, but Barbara also writes honestly about the resentment she often felt having a sister who was so "different" and the guilt that still haunts her.
All of this - the financial responsibility for her family, the fear, the love - played a large part in the choices she made as she grew up: the friendships she developed, the relationships she had, the marriages she tried to make work. Ultimately, thanks for her drive, combined with a decent amount of luck, she began a career in television. And what a career it has been! Against great odds, Barbara has made it to the top of a male-dominated industry. She was the first woman cohost of the 'Today Show', the first female network news coanchor, the host and producer of countless top-rated 'Specials', the star of 20/20, and the creator and cohost of 'The View'. She has not just interviewed the world's most fascinating figures, she has become a part of their world. These are just a few of the names that play a key role in Barbara's life, career, and book: Yasir Arafat, Warren Beatty, Menachem Begin, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Roy Cohn, the Dalai Lama, Princess Diana, Katharine Hepburn, King Hussein, Angelina Jolie, Henry Kissinger, Monica Lewinsky, Richard Nixon, Rosie O'Donnell, Christopher Reeve, Anwar Sadat, John Wayne...the list goes on and on
Barbara Walters has spent a lifetime auditioning for her bosses at the TV networks, for millions of viewers, for the most famous people in the world, and even for her own daughter, with whom she has had a difficult but ultimately quite wonderful and moving relationship. This book, in some ways, is her final audition, as she fully opens up both her private and public lives. In doing so, she has given us a story that is heartbreaking and honest, surprising and fun, sometimes startling, and always fascinating."
"And now, at last, the most important woman in the history of television journalism gives us that "whole package", in her inspiring and riveting memoir. After more than forty years of interviewing heads of state, world leaders, movie stars, criminals, murderers, inspirational figures, and celebrities of all kinds, Barbara Walters has turned her gift for examination onto herself to reveal the forces that shaped her extraordinary life.
Barbara Walters's perception of the world was formed at a very early age. Her father, Lou Walters, was the owner and creative mind behind the legendary Latin Quarter nightclub, and it was his risk-taking lifestyle that gave Barbara her first taste of glamour. It also made her aware of the ups and downs, the insecurities, and even the tragedies that can occur when someone is willing to take great risks, for Lou Walters didn't just make several fortunes - he also lost them. Barbara learned early about the damage that such an existence can do to relationships - between husband and wife as well as between parent and child. Through her roller-coaster ride of a childhood, Barbara had a close ccompanion, her mentally challenged sister, Jackie. True, Jackie taught her younger sister much about patience and compassion, but Barbara also writes honestly about the resentment she often felt having a sister who was so "different" and the guilt that still haunts her.
All of this - the financial responsibility for her family, the fear, the love - played a large part in the choices she made as she grew up: the friendships she developed, the relationships she had, the marriages she tried to make work. Ultimately, thanks for her drive, combined with a decent amount of luck, she began a career in television. And what a career it has been! Against great odds, Barbara has made it to the top of a male-dominated industry. She was the first woman cohost of the 'Today Show', the first female network news coanchor, the host and producer of countless top-rated 'Specials', the star of 20/20, and the creator and cohost of 'The View'. She has not just interviewed the world's most fascinating figures, she has become a part of their world. These are just a few of the names that play a key role in Barbara's life, career, and book: Yasir Arafat, Warren Beatty, Menachem Begin, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Roy Cohn, the Dalai Lama, Princess Diana, Katharine Hepburn, King Hussein, Angelina Jolie, Henry Kissinger, Monica Lewinsky, Richard Nixon, Rosie O'Donnell, Christopher Reeve, Anwar Sadat, John Wayne...the list goes on and on
Barbara Walters has spent a lifetime auditioning for her bosses at the TV networks, for millions of viewers, for the most famous people in the world, and even for her own daughter, with whom she has had a difficult but ultimately quite wonderful and moving relationship. This book, in some ways, is her final audition, as she fully opens up both her private and public lives. In doing so, she has given us a story that is heartbreaking and honest, surprising and fun, sometimes startling, and always fascinating."
April 8, 2013
After more than 40 years interviewing heads of state, world leaders, movie stars, criminals and murderers, inspirational figures and celebrities of all kinds, the most influential woman in the history of television journalism finally writes her memoir. Barbara Walters's perception of the world was formed from a very early age. Her father, Lou Walters, was the owner and creative mind behind the legendary Latin Quarter nightclub, and it was his risk-taking lifestyle that gave Barbara her first taste of glamour. It also made her aware of the ups and downs, the insecurities, and even the tragedies that can occur when someone is willing to take such great risks, for Lou Walters not only made several fortunes - he also lost them.
Barbara learned early about the damage that such an existence can do to relationships - between husband and wife as well as between parent and child. Throughout her roller-coaster ride of a childhood, Barbara had a constant companion, her mentally-challenged sister, Jackie. True, Jackie taught her younger sister much about patience and compassion, however Barbara also writes honestly about the resentment she often felt having a sister who was so "different" and the guilt that still haunts her.
All of this - the financial responsibility for her family, the fear, the love - played a large part in the choices Barbara made as she grew up: the friendships she developed, the relationships she had, the marriages she tried to make work. Ultimately, thanks to her drive, as well as a decent amount of luck, she began a career in television. And what a career it has been! Against incredible odds, Barbara has made it to the top of a male-dominated industry. She is a true trail-blazer within the industry, becoming the most trusted television journalist of all time. She has not only interviewed the world's most fascinating figures, she has become a part of their world.
I really enjoyed this book! After having it on my bookshelf unread for almost three years, I finally took the plunge and read it. At 579 pages, I was somewhat daunted to begin reading, despite really wanting to read this book almost from the moment it was published! Overall, it was an incredibly interesting and engaging book for me to read, even though there were one or two chapters that were slow reading. I must say that Barbara Walters has lived an incredibly exciting life and has done much to be admired for by her peers. Ultimately, I give Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters an A+!
Barbara learned early about the damage that such an existence can do to relationships - between husband and wife as well as between parent and child. Throughout her roller-coaster ride of a childhood, Barbara had a constant companion, her mentally-challenged sister, Jackie. True, Jackie taught her younger sister much about patience and compassion, however Barbara also writes honestly about the resentment she often felt having a sister who was so "different" and the guilt that still haunts her.
All of this - the financial responsibility for her family, the fear, the love - played a large part in the choices Barbara made as she grew up: the friendships she developed, the relationships she had, the marriages she tried to make work. Ultimately, thanks to her drive, as well as a decent amount of luck, she began a career in television. And what a career it has been! Against incredible odds, Barbara has made it to the top of a male-dominated industry. She is a true trail-blazer within the industry, becoming the most trusted television journalist of all time. She has not only interviewed the world's most fascinating figures, she has become a part of their world.
I really enjoyed this book! After having it on my bookshelf unread for almost three years, I finally took the plunge and read it. At 579 pages, I was somewhat daunted to begin reading, despite really wanting to read this book almost from the moment it was published! Overall, it was an incredibly interesting and engaging book for me to read, even though there were one or two chapters that were slow reading. I must say that Barbara Walters has lived an incredibly exciting life and has done much to be admired for by her peers. Ultimately, I give Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters an A+!
May 4, 2010
Barbara Walters' memoir encompasses her more than forty years of television journalism interviewing heads of state, world leaders, movie stars, criminals, murderers, inspirational figures, and celebrities of all kinds. Finally she turns her gift for examination onto herself to reveal the forces that shaped her extraordinary life.
We learn about her childhood with a father whose love of show business first brought the glamour and risk-taking of that life into her world and a mother, supportive, but often frustrated by the numerous times the family had to uproot in order to follow his dreams. We share her pain as she describes what it was like growing up with a mentally disabled sister whom she loved, but with whom she could share very little as they grew older. Despite her own ambitions, Ms. Walters made sure that her family was cared for during the lean times.
Her love affairs, her marriages, her child—we find out about each event in her life as she tells us in an anecdotal way, almost as if we're having a conversation.
That is what I most enjoyed about this book...the feeling that I, as the reader, had somehow been granted admission into her living room or dining room while she described in detail the numerous aspects of her life. Her efforts to achieve recognition in a journalistic world that often overlooked women; the competitive moments; her occasional mistakes along the way—all shared with candor, humor, and insight. Her awesome and inspiring climb to a success that has included not only the famous interviews, but the numerous shows she has hosted, from the Today show, 20/20, the Specials...and now The View.
I must admit that the political aspects of the memoir were less-fascinating to me than the celebrity features, but it was clear that she is knowledgeable and that she very diligently did her homework for each and every assignment. And obviously she has kept impeccable records over the years to be able to recount all these moments with such detail.
A most admirable and extraordinary tome, "Audition," by its very name, sums up an aspect of the author that, perhaps, can shed light on this unique individual. In her own words, she talks about having to "audition" constantly, in the sense that she had to stand out and shine in order to achieve her goals. She had to be better than the best in a highly competitive world, and she excelled.
If I could, I would give this book ten stars, but I will settle for five.
We learn about her childhood with a father whose love of show business first brought the glamour and risk-taking of that life into her world and a mother, supportive, but often frustrated by the numerous times the family had to uproot in order to follow his dreams. We share her pain as she describes what it was like growing up with a mentally disabled sister whom she loved, but with whom she could share very little as they grew older. Despite her own ambitions, Ms. Walters made sure that her family was cared for during the lean times.
Her love affairs, her marriages, her child—we find out about each event in her life as she tells us in an anecdotal way, almost as if we're having a conversation.
That is what I most enjoyed about this book...the feeling that I, as the reader, had somehow been granted admission into her living room or dining room while she described in detail the numerous aspects of her life. Her efforts to achieve recognition in a journalistic world that often overlooked women; the competitive moments; her occasional mistakes along the way—all shared with candor, humor, and insight. Her awesome and inspiring climb to a success that has included not only the famous interviews, but the numerous shows she has hosted, from the Today show, 20/20, the Specials...and now The View.
I must admit that the political aspects of the memoir were less-fascinating to me than the celebrity features, but it was clear that she is knowledgeable and that she very diligently did her homework for each and every assignment. And obviously she has kept impeccable records over the years to be able to recount all these moments with such detail.
A most admirable and extraordinary tome, "Audition," by its very name, sums up an aspect of the author that, perhaps, can shed light on this unique individual. In her own words, she talks about having to "audition" constantly, in the sense that she had to stand out and shine in order to achieve her goals. She had to be better than the best in a highly competitive world, and she excelled.
If I could, I would give this book ten stars, but I will settle for five.
August 28, 2008
Barbara Walters' memoir, "Audition," is an absolute disappointment. Her life offers much potential for a delightful and insightful read, and, sadly, the reader finds too much "telling" and not enough "showing." Barbara Walters tells the reader nothing more than a timeline of the events in her life. The reader's senses lie dormant, waiting for some morsel of description of flannel sheets from childhood, or warm jackets on chilly days in Boston, or the smell her mother's best dish. The characters remain one dimensional, and the stories follow in suit. We do not get a "sense" of Barbara Walters from this book. We get the events of Barbara Walters' life. While none among us would dispute her importance as a woman in the world of journalism, and that many of her interviews have become milestones in television, she regularly deprives the viewer (and now the reader) of depth, really digging into the meat of the person she's interviewing. In this writer's opinion, Walters regularly fails to ask "the burning question." However, she conveys the idea that her questions are original, and probing, and important. That her book lacks that same depth should come as no surprise.
More disappointing, however, is the arrogance with which she writes. Most readers would not consider growing up in a penthouse in New York City with a gambler of a father a struggle, and her desire to convince the "average American" reader fails. The reader empathizes with Barbara in her struggle to build lasting friendships throughout her childhood, but the reader remains unconvinced that, as an adult, "many people over the years would question my friendship" with "this person." In this writer's experience, nobody really cares. Additionally, the reader tends to get slightly winded each time they read about some "important" person's devotion to Walters' father, and thus, Walters' long standing friendship with the aforementioned "important" person.
In all, Barbara Walters presents herself as a shallow, trite woman who has achieved a remarkable amount of success asking pedestrian questions to familiar faces.
"Audition" does not get a call-back.
More disappointing, however, is the arrogance with which she writes. Most readers would not consider growing up in a penthouse in New York City with a gambler of a father a struggle, and her desire to convince the "average American" reader fails. The reader empathizes with Barbara in her struggle to build lasting friendships throughout her childhood, but the reader remains unconvinced that, as an adult, "many people over the years would question my friendship" with "this person." In this writer's experience, nobody really cares. Additionally, the reader tends to get slightly winded each time they read about some "important" person's devotion to Walters' father, and thus, Walters' long standing friendship with the aforementioned "important" person.
In all, Barbara Walters presents herself as a shallow, trite woman who has achieved a remarkable amount of success asking pedestrian questions to familiar faces.
"Audition" does not get a call-back.
June 25, 2009
I am sure there are going to be people who think that Barbara Walters is nothing more than an arrogant uptight snob who only interviews the rich and famous, let me say that would be a wrong assumption to make.
For years, I like millions of others have found Ms. Walters to be one the best journalist on tv. In Audition, Walters, who has a made living from drilling down to the personal lives others, finally opens up about her own private life.
Family is the core of the book. Walters openly writes about her father who made and lost money in the entertainment business, her mother who seemed to be bitter about the life she lived, about her own sister who developmentally challenged and it seems is the central person who Ms. Walters has the most regrets about. Walters also writes candidly about her three failed marriages. She also very candid about the hard times she had with her adoptive daughter and how the worked out for the best for both of them.
Here are the two things I loved this most about this book. If there central theme in Walters book is family, the secondary theme is how one woman rose to the top of male dominated business. Walters is very frank about the sexism and the struggles she had to endure yet she is very modest about her role in women’s movement as an example of someone who broke the glass ceiling.
Finally, this is one of the most enjoyable political books I have ever read. Starting with LBJ through the current President of the United States, Walters has interviewed every major world leader and player in modern history and tells some very enlightening stories about each of them.
I highly recommend this book and dare people not to think about Ms. Walters in a different light after reading it.
For years, I like millions of others have found Ms. Walters to be one the best journalist on tv. In Audition, Walters, who has a made living from drilling down to the personal lives others, finally opens up about her own private life.
Family is the core of the book. Walters openly writes about her father who made and lost money in the entertainment business, her mother who seemed to be bitter about the life she lived, about her own sister who developmentally challenged and it seems is the central person who Ms. Walters has the most regrets about. Walters also writes candidly about her three failed marriages. She also very candid about the hard times she had with her adoptive daughter and how the worked out for the best for both of them.
Here are the two things I loved this most about this book. If there central theme in Walters book is family, the secondary theme is how one woman rose to the top of male dominated business. Walters is very frank about the sexism and the struggles she had to endure yet she is very modest about her role in women’s movement as an example of someone who broke the glass ceiling.
Finally, this is one of the most enjoyable political books I have ever read. Starting with LBJ through the current President of the United States, Walters has interviewed every major world leader and player in modern history and tells some very enlightening stories about each of them.
I highly recommend this book and dare people not to think about Ms. Walters in a different light after reading it.
January 31, 2009
Who better to write a tell-all book about Barbara Walters than the woman herself. In her memoir, AUDITION, Walters tells of the men in her personal life; husbands and lovers who ranged from bland and boring to fascinating and profound. While she searched for, and to date has never found, the romantic Prince Charming to fulfill her private life, it seems that her professional life has more than compensated for those personal losses.
She has managed to cultivate a plethora of prominent friends, acquaintances and "interview subjects" that could (and do) fill the pages of Who's Who. From Presidents, religious leaders and princesses to movie stars, murderers and despots, she has rubbed shoulders with them all. Ms. Walters tome manages to titillate in inform her readers with a candid look at her life while maintaining the same dignity and reserve she displays in her television interviews. (No National Enquirer type mud slinging for this gal).
What comes to light in Ms. Walter's tale is that she is a woman who is the sum total of her many parts. Like her father, she is a risk taker who has sometimes made poor and somewhat capricious choices. She tends toward procrastination in her personal life but never professionally. She sacrificed family for fame and for many years had a tenuous relationship with her adopted daughter.
Ultimately, Barbara Walters is the poster child for female success in television journalism. She is a woman possessing the verve, initiative, persistence and willingness to make the sacrifices required in order to achieve success and flourish in her chosen profession. Selfish, perhaps!
Financially successful and independent, definitely!!
She has managed to cultivate a plethora of prominent friends, acquaintances and "interview subjects" that could (and do) fill the pages of Who's Who. From Presidents, religious leaders and princesses to movie stars, murderers and despots, she has rubbed shoulders with them all. Ms. Walters tome manages to titillate in inform her readers with a candid look at her life while maintaining the same dignity and reserve she displays in her television interviews. (No National Enquirer type mud slinging for this gal).
What comes to light in Ms. Walter's tale is that she is a woman who is the sum total of her many parts. Like her father, she is a risk taker who has sometimes made poor and somewhat capricious choices. She tends toward procrastination in her personal life but never professionally. She sacrificed family for fame and for many years had a tenuous relationship with her adopted daughter.
Ultimately, Barbara Walters is the poster child for female success in television journalism. She is a woman possessing the verve, initiative, persistence and willingness to make the sacrifices required in order to achieve success and flourish in her chosen profession. Selfish, perhaps!
Financially successful and independent, definitely!!
August 21, 2009
Barbara Walters' story of her climb to the top is fascinating. She endured a lot of flack for being a woman, with Harry Reasoner openly scorning her on network news. While seen by some as audacious and pushy, she presents herself as always insecure about losing her job, hence her perfectionism, persistence, and the title "Audition," because she continually felt she was auditioning anew. While enduring backlash for being the first woman network anchor person, she received a card that said, "Don't let the bastards get you down." It was from John Wayne.
Her insecurity stemmed from watching her father succeed and fail at several famous night clubs, and when he failed, the family was thrown into poverty and her mother's severe anxiety. Through his night clubs she became acquainted with famous people at an early age. She describes her tenacity at pursuing interviews, many of which would take her years to obtain. Her insights into Nixon, Anwar Sadat, Moshe Dayan, the Shah of Iran, Fidel Castro, and many other people are captivating.
I don't usually read the early childhood years of a biography, and intended to just skim the early years of this one. It was so interesting, however, that I kept reading. She was deeply affected by her developmentally disabled sister, and to this day feels guilty that she got more from life than her sister did. She also describes several love affairs and marriages, and writes in a tone as if she's talking to you over coffee.
What comes through in the book, as in her interviews, is her ability to respect those she disagrees with, with the exception of a few male co-workers, with which she openly discusses her problems.
Her insecurity stemmed from watching her father succeed and fail at several famous night clubs, and when he failed, the family was thrown into poverty and her mother's severe anxiety. Through his night clubs she became acquainted with famous people at an early age. She describes her tenacity at pursuing interviews, many of which would take her years to obtain. Her insights into Nixon, Anwar Sadat, Moshe Dayan, the Shah of Iran, Fidel Castro, and many other people are captivating.
I don't usually read the early childhood years of a biography, and intended to just skim the early years of this one. It was so interesting, however, that I kept reading. She was deeply affected by her developmentally disabled sister, and to this day feels guilty that she got more from life than her sister did. She also describes several love affairs and marriages, and writes in a tone as if she's talking to you over coffee.
What comes through in the book, as in her interviews, is her ability to respect those she disagrees with, with the exception of a few male co-workers, with which she openly discusses her problems.
August 21, 2017
This was a mammoth read and it was a good thing it was an audiobook or I might not have been brave enough to tackle it. 21 discs. Roughly 3 days in the car. But fascinating! The part about her early life was riveting and, as she proved so many times in structuring her interviews, provided so much insight into who she is and why. I have always admired Barbara Walters and I love her specials and her work on 20/20 and I always thought she was judged too harshly, especially for that tree question. To listen to the stories of her life is to relive the major historic and pop culture events of my life. As much as she is an icon and as much as I admire her work, I had not realized how much a part of my images of that history was shaped by her work. But almost every one of the major interviews she described from the time I was 10 or 11 are ones that I have seen.
I was impressed by her honesty about her fears and doubts and mistakes and personality flaws. And she is a brilliant story teller. During about half of the time I was listening to the book, my 15 year old nephew was riding shotgun. Although he had headphones to listen to his music, he said that he was more interested in a lot of the stories she told, and he turned off his iPhone to follow along. I think he learned some stuff about history and politics in the process because he asked some questions that were insightful.
I was impressed by her honesty about her fears and doubts and mistakes and personality flaws. And she is a brilliant story teller. During about half of the time I was listening to the book, my 15 year old nephew was riding shotgun. Although he had headphones to listen to his music, he said that he was more interested in a lot of the stories she told, and he turned off his iPhone to follow along. I think he learned some stuff about history and politics in the process because he asked some questions that were insightful.
July 28, 2008
An enjoyable memoir will weave interesting tale after interesting tale to create a thorough portrait of the writer. While one can hardly fault this book for not being "thorough," my "interesting tale" tally going through it = zero. It's the Encyclopedia Brittanica of Every Thought That Ever Crossed Barbara Walters's Mind Since the Day Her Ancestors Set Foot on American Soil.
Good Lord. Walters personality came across as somehow being a blend of relentless self-absorption with the tediousness of watching paint dry. And she seriously questions failed marriage after failed marriage. How could someone with this illustrious a journalism career be this much of a dullard? We really didn't need to know what she ordered for lunch. Every day of her life. And come to find out, when she does her schticky deadpan lengthy takes, wide-eyed, into the camera, she's not being ironic or dumbing herself down. She really thinks she's funny.
Normally I save my "reviews" until after my Book Club discusses a book, but with this doorstop of a book, I officially declare a mutiny.
I don't think I can choose fewer than one star to rate a book on goodreads, or else I would. Goodreads politely describes one star as, "I didn't like it," and doesn't give the reader a Holy Crap, this Really Sucked non-star option.
Good Lord. Walters personality came across as somehow being a blend of relentless self-absorption with the tediousness of watching paint dry. And she seriously questions failed marriage after failed marriage. How could someone with this illustrious a journalism career be this much of a dullard? We really didn't need to know what she ordered for lunch. Every day of her life. And come to find out, when she does her schticky deadpan lengthy takes, wide-eyed, into the camera, she's not being ironic or dumbing herself down. She really thinks she's funny.
Normally I save my "reviews" until after my Book Club discusses a book, but with this doorstop of a book, I officially declare a mutiny.
I don't think I can choose fewer than one star to rate a book on goodreads, or else I would. Goodreads politely describes one star as, "I didn't like it," and doesn't give the reader a Holy Crap, this Really Sucked non-star option.
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