Description
Book SynopsisRupert Murdoch’s extraordinary career has no parallel. His control of Fox news, which so successfully supports the Trump presidency, is a key force in American politics. In the UK, his control of
The Sun and
The Times leaves politicians scrambling to get him onside. But what do we know about the man himself? This book looks closely at the Murdochs, focusing on Rupert's father Keith, who built the family’s media power and cultivated the anti-establishment instincts that his son Rupert is known for. Roberts traces the life of the Murdochs, how Rupert Murdoch’s view of the world was formed, and assesses it's impact on the media that influences our politics today.
Trade ReviewTo unpeel the layers of ‘the man who owns the media’, it’s difficult to think of someone more qualified than Tom Roberts ... Here, Roberts again applies his forensic approach and scholarly rigour. * Spear's Magazine *
The Making of Murdoch is the essential prequel to one of the great media and succession stories of our time. Tom Roberts' rigorous research shows how the life and times of Sir Keith Murdoch set his son Rupert on course to bestride print and television in three continents of the English speaking world from Adelaide to London to New York. How did a well-connected and Oxford-educated scion of the British Empire come to create the tabloid Sun newspaper and Fox News Channel? Roberts unearths the roots of the Murdoch story for good or bad. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the media today. * Adam Boulton, Editor-at-Large Sky News *
'This outstanding book holds the key to understanding not just Rupert Murdoch, but also the brutal power of modern media.’ * Peter Oborne, journalist and broadcaster *
[Includes] compelling material about Keith’s journalistic flaws. * British Journalism Review *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Moulding a myth 1. Rosehearty 2. American immigrant 3. Finding his voice 4. 'Murder, history, war' 5. Hearts and minds...and bodies 6. A romance into air 7. The Prince and the Pressman 8. Lessons from a madman's bible 9. Healthy competition 10. Kingmaker 11. Media empire 12. A girdle round about the Earth 13. By phone and clone 14. The son rises Epilogue: A new inheritance Index
