Personal History

This book was recommended to me by a friend after we saw “The Post” together. I listened to this as an audiobook (as I love to do with memoirs - it's such a unique experience to hear someone's story in their own voice... or in this case, through a voice-actor that sounded a hell of a lot like Ms. Graham). It was over 30 hours long, so quite the commitment - but a worthy one, as I felt I got to more intimately know an incredible woman. And not only because she took on the role of Publisher of a major newspaper - the first woman to do so in a time where almost no women were in executive roles - following her husband's suicide (a courageous act), but because of her intelligence; expansive knowledge of politics, current events, and the arts; and the genuine modesty in which she recounts the events of her life (which include close relationships with Warren Buffett, several presidents, Truman Capote, and many other major figures of the time).

Admittedly, parts of this were a bit of a bore (e.g. the pressman strike, which seemed to go on for ages). But it was 30 hours, after all - bound to lose my attention at some point. I also missed a lot of the Nixon scandal; a few times I put this on when struggling to sleep, and could never quite figure out where I was in the chapter when I plunged into unconsciousness, leading to a fragmented picture (and some disturbing dreams about Nixon). I was surprised the part about the Pentagon Papers was so relatively short - not because I felt they deserved more attention, but because they only comprised such a small chapter in Katharine Graham's truly incredible vault of experiences. So I guess the real surprise is actually how many other movies could be made from her life.

While it's a bear to take on, I would recommend it to those interested in reading about the life of a true trailblazer for women (whether she knew that at the time or not) who led an amazing life and met some incredible people, all while remaining true to her wonderful self.