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The Long Slide: Thirty Years in American Journalism
Tucker Carlson, a top-rated TV anchor, discusses the "long slide" in American journalism from a respected profession that tried to focus on accuracy into a partisan forum controlled by a handful of people who make insidious decisions.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2021
About the author
Tucker Carlson
7 books294 followersTucker Carlson served as the host of FOX News Channel’s Tucker Carlson Tonight. On the 24th of April, 2023, Fox News and Carlson took separate paths. Two weeks hence, on May 10th, Tucker declared that his program would now be solely broadcasted through Twitter. Carlson features powerful analysis and spirited debates with guests and challenges political correctness and media bias. He joined the network in 2009 as a contributor. Before joining FNC, Carlson hosted Tucker on MSNBC from 2005-2008 and PBS’ Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered. He joined CNN in 2000 as its youngest anchor ever, co-hosting The Spin Room and went on to become co-host of CNN’s Crossfire until 2005. Additionally, Carlson founded and acted as editor-in-chief of The Daily Caller, a political news website he launched in 2010.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 237 reviews
August 10, 2021
Stunned, quite frankly, that the publisher actually permitted this to be printed!
Simon & Schuster, publisher for “The Long Slide”, has become a leader in partisan publishing and Tucker takes them to task. BTW, they published this book! It’s mind boggling for someone like me, an old publishing exec from the 80-90’s. They are outed by Tucker sharing the conversation between himself and executives at S&S regarding decisions made to NOT publish both Senator Josh Hawley’s book and Candace Owen’s follow up book, (her 1st was a best seller). He pulls no punches declaring a conclusion as to why these things happened.
I have been bemoaning the demise of reporting for years. Books, magazines, online, TV - it’s almost impossible to find reporting of facts that isn’t tainted with a political position; right, left, or other. Freedom to express ideas, opposing tho’t, investigative new theories, these were all vehemently protected and printed by publishers large and small. Freedom of speech was defended at all costs, personal beliefs be damned; Salman Rushdie’s “Satanic Verses” and William Powell’s “The Anarchist Cookbook” come to mind during my tenure.
Tucker begins this book talking about magazine publishing, where he got his start and the source for most of the material in this book. He goes on to discuss changes in the country, publishing, influences and his career evolving. It’s just like watching him on TV or listening to his podcast. He’s welcoming and engaging, makes perfect sense, while calmly telling you things that make you want to scream and DO SOMETHING.
The compilation of articles included in this book are not new but the introductions to them are. They’re Tucker reflecting back on his work, where he was at that time, where he is now and any mistakes or positives he notes as a result. It’s a broad offering of people, places and experiences and you can see the growth in his writing from a young, idealistic, slightly judgmental young man to a nuanced professional with a great sense of reasoning.
Not all of the articles are political but they all contribute to giving a very clear picture of just how far American Journalism has slid from its pinnacle in the last 30 years. While I found it incredibly sad for journalism, it makes me angry that we aren’t demanding more from those who purport to represent free speech for all. It’s time we speak, write, record; before “The Long Slide” goes on for another 30 years📚
Simon & Schuster, publisher for “The Long Slide”, has become a leader in partisan publishing and Tucker takes them to task. BTW, they published this book! It’s mind boggling for someone like me, an old publishing exec from the 80-90’s. They are outed by Tucker sharing the conversation between himself and executives at S&S regarding decisions made to NOT publish both Senator Josh Hawley’s book and Candace Owen’s follow up book, (her 1st was a best seller). He pulls no punches declaring a conclusion as to why these things happened.
I have been bemoaning the demise of reporting for years. Books, magazines, online, TV - it’s almost impossible to find reporting of facts that isn’t tainted with a political position; right, left, or other. Freedom to express ideas, opposing tho’t, investigative new theories, these were all vehemently protected and printed by publishers large and small. Freedom of speech was defended at all costs, personal beliefs be damned; Salman Rushdie’s “Satanic Verses” and William Powell’s “The Anarchist Cookbook” come to mind during my tenure.
Tucker begins this book talking about magazine publishing, where he got his start and the source for most of the material in this book. He goes on to discuss changes in the country, publishing, influences and his career evolving. It’s just like watching him on TV or listening to his podcast. He’s welcoming and engaging, makes perfect sense, while calmly telling you things that make you want to scream and DO SOMETHING.
The compilation of articles included in this book are not new but the introductions to them are. They’re Tucker reflecting back on his work, where he was at that time, where he is now and any mistakes or positives he notes as a result. It’s a broad offering of people, places and experiences and you can see the growth in his writing from a young, idealistic, slightly judgmental young man to a nuanced professional with a great sense of reasoning.
Not all of the articles are political but they all contribute to giving a very clear picture of just how far American Journalism has slid from its pinnacle in the last 30 years. While I found it incredibly sad for journalism, it makes me angry that we aren’t demanding more from those who purport to represent free speech for all. It’s time we speak, write, record; before “The Long Slide” goes on for another 30 years📚
January 18, 2022
Before he became a political commentator for Fox News, Tucker Carlson was a journalist of the old school that valued principles of fairness and impartiality. You shouldn’t be able to tell a reporter’s personal politics from their articles. And The Long Slide: Thirty Years in American Journalism is just that. It’s a collection of eclectic magazine articles Carlson wrote over the course of his career, an informative, fascinating, fair, impartial, and nonpartisan look at newsmakers and events.
The Long Slide is worth the purchase just for the Introduction, chronicling the changes in American journalism, and also for the perceptive chapter on Donald Trump. The latter was written in January 2016 when “everyone,” left and right, was certain Donald Trump couldn’t win. Tucker Carlson wrote the piece for Politico that said, hey, I think he can win, and this is why. His prediction and reasons why turned out to be dead accurate.
Carlson also writes about American subcontractors in Iraq, a sleazy worse-than-ambulance-chasing attorney, Sen. John McCain, and James Carvelle, Bill Clinton’s campaign strategist.
There are also some funny, light articles like “The Unflappables,” about Carlson’s attempts to deter telephone solicitors, and “Dangerous Toys,” his love of risk-taking and pyrotechnic toys.
The Long Slide book is an eye-opening, often witty read. Don't worry about politics, just get it.
The Long Slide is worth the purchase just for the Introduction, chronicling the changes in American journalism, and also for the perceptive chapter on Donald Trump. The latter was written in January 2016 when “everyone,” left and right, was certain Donald Trump couldn’t win. Tucker Carlson wrote the piece for Politico that said, hey, I think he can win, and this is why. His prediction and reasons why turned out to be dead accurate.
Carlson also writes about American subcontractors in Iraq, a sleazy worse-than-ambulance-chasing attorney, Sen. John McCain, and James Carvelle, Bill Clinton’s campaign strategist.
There are also some funny, light articles like “The Unflappables,” about Carlson’s attempts to deter telephone solicitors, and “Dangerous Toys,” his love of risk-taking and pyrotechnic toys.
The Long Slide book is an eye-opening, often witty read. Don't worry about politics, just get it.
September 28, 2021
Here, as always, I am reviewing the book, not politics.
Although this is 4 stars rather than 5, I actually liked this book way more than I expected: I was reluctant to dig through--let's be honest--20- and 25-year-old magazine articles that were topical and interesting at the time but now are dated. Lengthy, old magazine articles can't compare to the plethora of information, much in video form, available today streaming and online. So, period pieces. To his self-aware credit, Carlson acknowledges as much.
That said, these articles showcase Tucker Carlson's journalistic chops. His years of doing interviews demonstrate why today he is good at finding and prompting people to have their say (albeit far more succinctly) on a cable news program with one of, if not the, largest audiences in the country.
One small glitch but one that reliably drives crime/mystery/thriller writers and readers nuts (channeling Lee Lofland and others here): in a very compelling and moving piece about going into Iraq during the war, he misuses the word 'cordite.' 'Cordite' gets misused so frequently that we know he means the smell of propellant but here's the fact: cordite hasn't been widely used in guns since WWI: https://www.quora.com/Do-we-still-use...
That tiny issue aside in his great Iraq article, Carlson has written good pieces on potato cannons, his family's dangerous toys, and a medley of other subjects.
Recommended to those who like the work of Tucker Carlson, those who like short non-fiction narrative articles, and those nostalgic for recent decades.
Although this is 4 stars rather than 5, I actually liked this book way more than I expected: I was reluctant to dig through--let's be honest--20- and 25-year-old magazine articles that were topical and interesting at the time but now are dated. Lengthy, old magazine articles can't compare to the plethora of information, much in video form, available today streaming and online. So, period pieces. To his self-aware credit, Carlson acknowledges as much.
That said, these articles showcase Tucker Carlson's journalistic chops. His years of doing interviews demonstrate why today he is good at finding and prompting people to have their say (albeit far more succinctly) on a cable news program with one of, if not the, largest audiences in the country.
One small glitch but one that reliably drives crime/mystery/thriller writers and readers nuts (channeling Lee Lofland and others here): in a very compelling and moving piece about going into Iraq during the war, he misuses the word 'cordite.' 'Cordite' gets misused so frequently that we know he means the smell of propellant but here's the fact: cordite hasn't been widely used in guns since WWI: https://www.quora.com/Do-we-still-use...
That tiny issue aside in his great Iraq article, Carlson has written good pieces on potato cannons, his family's dangerous toys, and a medley of other subjects.
Recommended to those who like the work of Tucker Carlson, those who like short non-fiction narrative articles, and those nostalgic for recent decades.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2021
Do you want to listen to a middle aged man whine and loosley string together anecdotal ramblings with ahistorical bad faith takes? Then this book is for you. Tucker has spent his life as a grifter and the closest he gets to journalism is when he takes a shit because at least his toilet holds more weight than his opinions.
August 25, 2021
Nicely, this is not a take on contemporary politics but a jaunt down memory lane collected from a few decades of columns.
The stories are fine, full of insight and humor.
Tucker seems like a good guy to have a beer with.
The stories are fine, full of insight and humor.
Tucker seems like a good guy to have a beer with.
October 14, 2021
This was not at all what I expected. Which was a current review on the subject of American Journalism and its past history toward the state it is in presently. Not that the title is misleading. But the way this was demonstrated was entirely opposite of what I had envisioned the telling to be.
Because it is not a "tell it" afterwards treatise at all. But "in the minute" of that time and place reactive magazine published pieces of those exact times and places of experience. Which is tons better than the "tell and tell" of it afterwards.
I do remember the place of magazines as they were. Especially Redbook, National Republic, Harper's and many others that most read at least monthly. They were, almost every one, cored on religiously guarding opposing and multiples of opinions with real stats outcomes of those cases. Nothing like the propaganda group think distorted information rags online or still published.
This also is very much about the younger Tucker Carlson himself. His eyes, his job at the time, his reaction in real event places back in the day. They are word for word published from just then. Not now, writing epistles about then in after thought.
Some I had read before when they were first published. I did the Iraq one- which is still a superb evaluation of just what it was. (And do those still around lie about that and their partaking now!)
His Ron Paul gig and the one written on his mentor (Hunter S. Thompson) who was bipolar, and the Eugenics piece are all 6 stars. Also is the John McCain travel piece.
How can it be that the intelligence, logic, and true data outcome was so much more cored within journalism in 1980 or 1990 or 2000, then it is now? Unbelievable that so much excellence in evaluation, logic, real production, information in scale seems to have been entirely lost. Nothing is guarded now but group think agenda and bullying en masse.
Because it is not a "tell it" afterwards treatise at all. But "in the minute" of that time and place reactive magazine published pieces of those exact times and places of experience. Which is tons better than the "tell and tell" of it afterwards.
I do remember the place of magazines as they were. Especially Redbook, National Republic, Harper's and many others that most read at least monthly. They were, almost every one, cored on religiously guarding opposing and multiples of opinions with real stats outcomes of those cases. Nothing like the propaganda group think distorted information rags online or still published.
This also is very much about the younger Tucker Carlson himself. His eyes, his job at the time, his reaction in real event places back in the day. They are word for word published from just then. Not now, writing epistles about then in after thought.
Some I had read before when they were first published. I did the Iraq one- which is still a superb evaluation of just what it was. (And do those still around lie about that and their partaking now!)
His Ron Paul gig and the one written on his mentor (Hunter S. Thompson) who was bipolar, and the Eugenics piece are all 6 stars. Also is the John McCain travel piece.
How can it be that the intelligence, logic, and true data outcome was so much more cored within journalism in 1980 or 1990 or 2000, then it is now? Unbelievable that so much excellence in evaluation, logic, real production, information in scale seems to have been entirely lost. Nothing is guarded now but group think agenda and bullying en masse.
August 29, 2021
In the final paragraph of The Long Slide, Tucker Carlson, the most senselessly reviled man in our country, writes "The world this book describes is mostly gone." And it's true. A collection of articles written over the course of his 30-year career, The Long Slide contains stories and events that couldn't happen today. Would Al Sharpton be caught dead talking to Carlson today, much less traveling with him? Unlikely.
At no point has any society been perfect, but reading through Carlson's book leaves the reader with the sense that ours is getting worse. Cruder, less humane, more sanitized, ruled increasingly by the most generic sort of people. Carlson doesn't seek to prove any of this explicitly. It's just the sense that you get.
Still, it's a good book that is worth reading, filled with interesting stories about people who are now "dead or irrelevant." Maybe recalling a time, not that long ago, guided less by screens and more by human interaction, which accepted at least a little risk as a part of the adventure of life, can spark in us an desire to recapture some of what's been lost.
At no point has any society been perfect, but reading through Carlson's book leaves the reader with the sense that ours is getting worse. Cruder, less humane, more sanitized, ruled increasingly by the most generic sort of people. Carlson doesn't seek to prove any of this explicitly. It's just the sense that you get.
Still, it's a good book that is worth reading, filled with interesting stories about people who are now "dead or irrelevant." Maybe recalling a time, not that long ago, guided less by screens and more by human interaction, which accepted at least a little risk as a part of the adventure of life, can spark in us an desire to recapture some of what's been lost.
September 12, 2021
This is, I think, the first Non-fiction book that I have rated on Goodreads. I have to admit that I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Why, you might ask? Well, because it really wasn't a book in the normal sense. It was a compellation of magazine articles that Tucker had written over the course of the last thirty years.
Why is that interesting? Well, because by reading these articles, you can see just how much the world has changed in that time frame. First of all, I had no idea that Tucker used to be a writer and that he freelanced for magazines (of course, I'm old enough to remember when my dad's subscription to Time magazine would come in every week along with several others that he subscribed to.) Back then, that was how we got our news.
It was CRAZY to read about Tucker flying to Africa with Al Sharpton during a civil war, to read about his trip to Iraq during the war and even funnier to read about him interviewing the new owner of a potato gun business. Now, NONE of these people would probably even talk to him - that's how siloed we as a nation have become. He talks about how he was so proud to be a journalist because back then, journalists felt like they were SUPPOSED to challenge the thinking of the day. It was not a problem to have an opposing view. They were PROUD to argue over their opinions and views. How things have changed.......
I think the thing that surprised me the most is that Tucker is a really good writer. His articles are easy to read and you feel like you are wherever he wants you to be as you are reading his words.
This is a really easy book to read. It honestly is just a collection of articles he wrote in the past with a new message at the beginning of each article detailing what was going on at the time he wrote it and whatever other silly or pertinent facts that he thinks are relevant to help us understand the setting.
I enjoyed it. I honestly think most people would. It is not political in the slightest and it just goes to show how much things have changed in the last 30 years.
Why is that interesting? Well, because by reading these articles, you can see just how much the world has changed in that time frame. First of all, I had no idea that Tucker used to be a writer and that he freelanced for magazines (of course, I'm old enough to remember when my dad's subscription to Time magazine would come in every week along with several others that he subscribed to.) Back then, that was how we got our news.
It was CRAZY to read about Tucker flying to Africa with Al Sharpton during a civil war, to read about his trip to Iraq during the war and even funnier to read about him interviewing the new owner of a potato gun business. Now, NONE of these people would probably even talk to him - that's how siloed we as a nation have become. He talks about how he was so proud to be a journalist because back then, journalists felt like they were SUPPOSED to challenge the thinking of the day. It was not a problem to have an opposing view. They were PROUD to argue over their opinions and views. How things have changed.......
I think the thing that surprised me the most is that Tucker is a really good writer. His articles are easy to read and you feel like you are wherever he wants you to be as you are reading his words.
This is a really easy book to read. It honestly is just a collection of articles he wrote in the past with a new message at the beginning of each article detailing what was going on at the time he wrote it and whatever other silly or pertinent facts that he thinks are relevant to help us understand the setting.
I enjoyed it. I honestly think most people would. It is not political in the slightest and it just goes to show how much things have changed in the last 30 years.
August 18, 2021
Tucker is now a controversial figure, so a lot of people will probably dismiss this from the outset. But I've never watched his show and was familiar with his writing before he became a big sensation. This collection is witty and laugh-out-loud funny in parts and insightful and interesting in others. I enjoyed it.
August 12, 2021
The first few chapters made me laugh. The last made me cry.
August 18, 2021
I’d give this 4.5 stars. Tucker narrates his book, and the stories he has written over the years recount important, and sometimes comical, pieces of history.
August 26, 2021
I enjoyed Carlson’s “Ship of Fools,” so when I saw that this one had dropped, I quickly grabbed a copy. I tend to do this thing a lot where I buy books without looking into them whatsoever. Sometimes that works out just fine — other times, it does not. The latter was the case here.
I didn’t realize at the time of purchasing that this is basically just a collection of Carlson’s old editorial pieces. Though it claims to paint some picture of where society has gone over the last few decades, I didn’t find that narrative, or even any cohesiveness, myself.
It’s too bad because if this were an actual book rather than a set of disparate writings (and Carlson actually expanded upon the ideas he puts forth in the introduction) this could’ve been a good one. Instead, it’s kind of just a random cluster of thoughts. I’d wait for his next, real release (whenever that may be) rather than grab this one.
I didn’t realize at the time of purchasing that this is basically just a collection of Carlson’s old editorial pieces. Though it claims to paint some picture of where society has gone over the last few decades, I didn’t find that narrative, or even any cohesiveness, myself.
It’s too bad because if this were an actual book rather than a set of disparate writings (and Carlson actually expanded upon the ideas he puts forth in the introduction) this could’ve been a good one. Instead, it’s kind of just a random cluster of thoughts. I’d wait for his next, real release (whenever that may be) rather than grab this one.
November 23, 2021
The Long Slide is pretty amusing. There isn't anything earthshattering here but it was a fun, quick read. I really didn't realize how extensive Carlson's journalistic career was until I read this, he has led an interesting career.
Probably the only really powerful message that comes from this book is seeing just how far the media has slid into irrelevance in America. While most journalists think they are the next Woodward and Bernstein, in the real world virtually all of them are propagandist mouthpieces for the elite establishment. Imagine Tucker going on a trip with Al Sharpton to Africa in 2021. It would never happen.
Anyway, fun read for a weekend that gives a glimpse into the kind of person Tucker is off camera.
Probably the only really powerful message that comes from this book is seeing just how far the media has slid into irrelevance in America. While most journalists think they are the next Woodward and Bernstein, in the real world virtually all of them are propagandist mouthpieces for the elite establishment. Imagine Tucker going on a trip with Al Sharpton to Africa in 2021. It would never happen.
Anyway, fun read for a weekend that gives a glimpse into the kind of person Tucker is off camera.
August 21, 2021
Good book! The book is a collection of his own magazine articles from thirty years of his career. One could choose to read all or part of these and enjoy the book. I was particularly impressed with what he wrote about Al Sharpton, Donald Trump, and his family's Maine cabin. Memorable writing.
August 19, 2021
Great book
Easy to read, extremely well written, real, enjoyable break from recently read books like unsettled or betrayal of the elites etc.
An extremely bright fellow.
Easy to read, extremely well written, real, enjoyable break from recently read books like unsettled or betrayal of the elites etc.
An extremely bright fellow.
August 20, 2021
An essential reminder of how imperative it is we need free speech, freedom to disagree and debate and freedom for REAL journalism.
October 17, 2021
Tucker Carlson is a great man.
September 27, 2021
This has been on my shelf for a while. I'm not really a non-fiction reader, but occasionally I'll dip into something that might interest me. Writing interests me. Journalism (of the old-fashioned kind) interests me, so I started this last night. So far, it was an excellent choice. Carlson's little essays have eclectic subject matter, to say the least. We start off on a hilarious trip to Liberia with Al Sharpton to put an end to the civil war there, and roam across Trump in 2016, how to give kids dangerous childhoods (one of my favourites, and very funny) and the story of Tucker being scammed by a street artist in Washington. Tucker is fascinating character himself. No internet, no TV, no social media. That reminds me of someone... And yet he is the best kind of people-person. He sees beneath the facade and seems to bring forth in other people he is studying a glimpse of something they were not even aware of themselves. His story of the two Nation of Islam representatives is a case in point.
Excellent read. Each essay is short and witty and very well written (as you'd expect).
Highly recommended.
Excellent read. Each essay is short and witty and very well written (as you'd expect).
Highly recommended.
July 27, 2023
I really enjoyed Carlson's other book, Ship of Fools, so I wanted to check this one out. I listened to the audio version and I think that might have made it a bit difficult to follow. I liked the way it was read; but, since each chapter was a different article, I found it difficult to want to keep reading...not sure why.
I did really like the opening /closing chapters and a few others as well. It is sad how journalism has changed so much and everything seems divided/political now.
I did really like the opening /closing chapters and a few others as well. It is sad how journalism has changed so much and everything seems divided/political now.
June 3, 2023
Tucker is quite the character and these are some of his adventures.
July 18, 2023
Tucker Carlson is a well known figure. Most either love him, or not. One thing you will see if you read this book is how he got started in the news business and how he developed his philosophy on it. He has some very interesting view points worth seeing. On a personal level, who he is may just surprise you. He loves nature, his family and his life. He is a very down to earth person who does his best to report the truth to the American people. He definitely has rose to fame and I do not see him going anywhere anytime soon. The way we get our news and communicate is changing, and Tucker right along with it. It was a worthwhile read. I would recommend it. ⭐
August 23, 2021
Some may not want to read this book because of the author, however the author is what led me to want to read it. Love him, hate him or love to hate him, he is pretty up front and equally gives crap to the left and the right.
The book is a collection of essays he has written in the past. He goes after that corrupt, woke company known as Simon and Schuster (his publisher) which only proves my point about him going after anyone and everyone, for their shady wokeism and how unfair they operate.
It's funny because Simon and Schuster canceled Hawley's book deal because he was involved with the "insurrection". However now that the FBI came out and said there was no Insurrection after all, I am waiting to see him sue them as well as waiting for Trump's second impeachment expunged from the records.
One of the most Interesting points of the book is the revelation of his tight friendship with James Carville.
It's a good book and the ability of hindsight is refreshing.
The book is a collection of essays he has written in the past. He goes after that corrupt, woke company known as Simon and Schuster (his publisher) which only proves my point about him going after anyone and everyone, for their shady wokeism and how unfair they operate.
It's funny because Simon and Schuster canceled Hawley's book deal because he was involved with the "insurrection". However now that the FBI came out and said there was no Insurrection after all, I am waiting to see him sue them as well as waiting for Trump's second impeachment expunged from the records.
One of the most Interesting points of the book is the revelation of his tight friendship with James Carville.
It's a good book and the ability of hindsight is refreshing.
February 7, 2022
I've long enjoyed magazine writing. Magazines provide just enough length to cover a story intensively without room for fluff. A great magazine writer produces art with a sense of effortlessness. Stories like Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu or Raising the Dead leave you feeling different after you finish them. Even the obligations that come with having a young child don't stop me from enjoying Outside, Smithsonian, Christianity Today, National Review, and other sources of insight and opinion.
The Long Slide promises an "I was there" accounting of the current era of political hyperpartisanship. Instead, this is a collection of second-rate essays from someone who, despite decades in the industry, appears to have never figured out how to write effectively. Everything is delivered from the perspective of a man-child who wishes he were an interesting person. Here's a tip: if you're not interesting, try writing from the perspective of someone who is; your stories don't need to be delivered from your POV. If you want a book of essays about freedom and censorship from a great writer, I suggest skipping The Long Slide and picking up anything by the late great Nat Hentoff.
The Long Slide promises an "I was there" accounting of the current era of political hyperpartisanship. Instead, this is a collection of second-rate essays from someone who, despite decades in the industry, appears to have never figured out how to write effectively. Everything is delivered from the perspective of a man-child who wishes he were an interesting person. Here's a tip: if you're not interesting, try writing from the perspective of someone who is; your stories don't need to be delivered from your POV. If you want a book of essays about freedom and censorship from a great writer, I suggest skipping The Long Slide and picking up anything by the late great Nat Hentoff.
September 29, 2021
I read this for Banned Books Week. Not because the ALA has listed it as challenged—I haven’t seen indication that it has been—but because I think it’s important to get out of our echo chambers every now and then and try to listen to some voices we’re predisposed to disagree with.
And now that I’ve read it, I can say with absolute honesty that I came away from the book disliking and disagreeing with Carlson just about as much as I did before.
It’s competently written. And I found myself actually enjoying some of the articles from earlier in his career. Despite what the title, description, and introduction would have you think, this book isn’t so much the story of journalism becoming increasingly liberal and insular over the past 3 decades as it is a chronicle of Carlson’s gradual embitterment.
For the most part, nothing was egregious. It’s all more harmless than not but there are the odd rails against librarians, defenses of European imperialism by merits of architectural aesthetic, and smug asides about wanting to punch civil rights activists speckled here and there throughout the text.
Carlson isn’t a bad writer. But he huffs his own hot farts an awful lot in this book.
And now that I’ve read it, I can say with absolute honesty that I came away from the book disliking and disagreeing with Carlson just about as much as I did before.
It’s competently written. And I found myself actually enjoying some of the articles from earlier in his career. Despite what the title, description, and introduction would have you think, this book isn’t so much the story of journalism becoming increasingly liberal and insular over the past 3 decades as it is a chronicle of Carlson’s gradual embitterment.
For the most part, nothing was egregious. It’s all more harmless than not but there are the odd rails against librarians, defenses of European imperialism by merits of architectural aesthetic, and smug asides about wanting to punch civil rights activists speckled here and there throughout the text.
Carlson isn’t a bad writer. But he huffs his own hot farts an awful lot in this book.
August 27, 2021
Very well done!
Tucker’s writing style reflects his sense of humor while painting an incredibly accurate picture of the way things were. The brief introduction to each article tied it all together very nicely. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sometimes I found myself laughing out loud! Sometimes I found myself worried for Tucker’s life. The trip to Baghdad? Scary stuff.
My actual rating is 4.4.
I removed the fractional points in honor of Vietnam POW Bud Day and the anonymous five Vietnam POWs on John McCain’s 2000 campaign bus. I don’t like the way they’re depicted in this chapter.
Bud Day was a hero. So were the other POWs on that bus. They endured unthinkable deprivation and torture for many, many years. But they endured. They honored The Code of Conduct.
They were Patriots.
They “Returned With Honor”. The EX NAMPOWS of Vietnam are the finest people you’ll ever know.
Tucker’s writing style reflects his sense of humor while painting an incredibly accurate picture of the way things were. The brief introduction to each article tied it all together very nicely. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sometimes I found myself laughing out loud! Sometimes I found myself worried for Tucker’s life. The trip to Baghdad? Scary stuff.
My actual rating is 4.4.
I removed the fractional points in honor of Vietnam POW Bud Day and the anonymous five Vietnam POWs on John McCain’s 2000 campaign bus. I don’t like the way they’re depicted in this chapter.
Bud Day was a hero. So were the other POWs on that bus. They endured unthinkable deprivation and torture for many, many years. But they endured. They honored The Code of Conduct.
They were Patriots.
They “Returned With Honor”. The EX NAMPOWS of Vietnam are the finest people you’ll ever know.
September 26, 2021
Yes, I hate-read the first essay in this 'book', because it was free to download. I'm not giving this white supremacist a cent, red or otherwise.
That first essay? Is a four-page sad about how disappointed Fuc- I mean, Tucker is in his childhood hero, Hunter S Thompson. Yes, that guy. The one who did a ton of drugs, wrote Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and invented gonzo journalism, which I guess Tucker thinks is what inspired him to join Fox and spew convoluted racist and misogynistic blather, because THAT makes sense.
The most excited Tucker gets in this essay is when he lists all the drugs he took as homage to his idol. And the most honest he gets is when he discusses giving up drugs in favour of beer, because "by the time I got to college, mind expansion had lost its appeal".
Truer words were never spoken.
DNF'd right where I thought I would.
That first essay? Is a four-page sad about how disappointed Fuc- I mean, Tucker is in his childhood hero, Hunter S Thompson. Yes, that guy. The one who did a ton of drugs, wrote Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and invented gonzo journalism, which I guess Tucker thinks is what inspired him to join Fox and spew convoluted racist and misogynistic blather, because THAT makes sense.
The most excited Tucker gets in this essay is when he lists all the drugs he took as homage to his idol. And the most honest he gets is when he discusses giving up drugs in favour of beer, because "by the time I got to college, mind expansion had lost its appeal".
Truer words were never spoken.
DNF'd right where I thought I would.
September 22, 2021
The long slide is essentially a collection of non-descript essays amassed over a 30-year period of time. For someone of his stature the articles strike me as underwhelming and lacking in any keen insights. The only interesting bit is his time spent covering Al Sharpton. On the other hand, his articles on George w bush and John McCain were both mundane and an interesting. I guess if you hate James Carville and some random lawyer he brings up in one of the later chapters, seeing him bash them might be entertaining, but both articles again are low on substance.
If you like Carlson and want to just read his old work, I guess this is good for you but if you are looking for an analysis of current politics through Tucker's eyes, you're better off trying Ship of Fools.
If you like Carlson and want to just read his old work, I guess this is good for you but if you are looking for an analysis of current politics through Tucker's eyes, you're better off trying Ship of Fools.
October 21, 2021
Tucker Carlson’s nightly varied and brilliant monologues are not to be missed. I think he is as close to real journalism as we will get today. This is a collection of publications and also some personal stories. Writings of former Presidents and public figures can cause flinching. Sometimes I think it’s a good thing we didn’t really know all abt their warts or we would have felt despondent. Yet, isn’t real journalism all about truth?
April 23, 2022
I have found Tucker Carlson's book to be interesting on a variety of levels. Differing topics, he writes much akin to his speech, and 30 years in journalism. Some of the articles he wrote I wasn't very interested in, others were quite interesting. If you are a Tucker Carlson fan, I believe you will be happy. If you are new to the political realm, I believe there is much you can learn from him and should read his work.
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