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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA valuable reminder of the tragic story of Don Hollenbeck--a brilliant journalist crushed in the horror of McCarthyism. -- Walter Cronkite Don Hollenbeck's significant presence at CBS News was at least acknowledged by George Clooney in his recent film Good Night, and Good Luck, but Hollenbeck deserved better and more. He gets both in this wonderful and elegantly written book. Hollenbeck, a man of unwavering principle and conscience, took his own life in l954. A life worth remembering? And how! How lucky we are that Loren Ghiglione undertook the task of reminding us. -- Ted Koppel This is a story that should have been told a long time ago. Thankfully Loren Ghiglione not only tells it but tells it well. This is a skillfully written, meticulously researched account of a real-life tragedy that reads like a fast-paced crime novel. -- Bob Schieffer A compelling portrait in journalistic courage. As one of the Murrow boys, I hope it will inspire the journalists of a later generation to stand up in the face of repressive forces. -- Daniel Schorr, senior news analyst, National Public Radio Loren Ghiglione's book is thoroughly researched, gracefully written, thoughtful, and thought-provoking. It is a pleasure to read. Anyone attempting to understand the evolution of the postwar American state, and the role of the press in it, needs to consider Hollenbeck's life. In Loren Ghiglione, Hollenbeck has found the ideal biographer--passionate but judicious, thorough but concise. -- Evan Cornog, author of The Power and the Story: How the Crafted Presidential Narrative Has Determined Political Success from George Washington to George W. Bush Loren Ghiglione not only recounts more than one would have thought possible of Hollenbeck's personal life, but, drawing with great insight on his own broad experience, recaptures the nuances of Hollenbeck's work as a newspaper, radio, and television journalist-and, of course, a press critic. Ghiglione shows how such an unbending figure as Hollenbeck could uphold journalism's best standards, even under the most unfavorable circumstances. -- James Boylan, University of Massachusetts-Amherst [A] well-written and clear-eyed portrait of a crusading newsman. Kirkus Reviews [An] engrossing biography. Booklist [A] wonderfully researched tour of Hollenbeck's dramatic life. Lincoln Journal Star Ghiglione's attention to detail and use of numerous personal interviews make this both a compelling biography and a rich contextual history of the McCarthy era. Highly recommended. Library Journal CBS's Don Hollenbeck is a solid piece of media history, enthusiastically recommended. The Midwest Book Review This splendid biography serves both Hollenbeck and media history well... Highly recommended. Choice A compelling biography. -- Mike Conway Journalism History A captivating tale of journalistic good versus political evil. -- Edward Alwood American Journalism An excellent read for any journalism scholar. -- Robert A. Rabe Jhistory
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Boy from Lincoln 2. Working for William Randolph Hearst in Omaha 3. The Founding of PM, a "Newpaperman's Ideal" 4. Politics at PM: Commies and "Good Liberals" 5. Covering World War II from Home and Abroad 6. Getting Fired by NBC and ABC, Then Hired by CBS 7. The Invention of CBS Views the Press 8. Jack O'Brian: Buffalo Dock-walloper to Broadway Drama Critic 9. Press Criticism: From Name-calling to Nuance 10. Jack O'Brian: Championing Decency, Fighting Soft-on-Communism Liberals 11. The Obsession with Subversives and Communist Spies 12. Jack O'Brian: Traveling with the Conservative, Anti-Commie Crowd 13. The Hearsts Versus Hollenbeck 14. Jack O'Brian: Attacking the Communist Broadcasting System 15. Loyalty Oaths, Blacklists, and Joseph McCarthy 16. The Walking Wounded 17. The Sermon in the Suicide Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index
