Synopses & Reviews
NPR was created in 1970, three years after Congress passed the Public Broadcasting Act and established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Signing the act into law, President Lyndon B. Johnson said, We in America have an appetite for excellence . . . we want most of all to enrich man's spirit. Today NPR produces and distributes programming that reaches more than 26 million listeners weekly. More than 900 stations nationwide broadcast NPR programming.
This new collection highlights the best moments from the first 40 years of NPR: exclusive commentaries and reflections from Susan Stamberg, Robert Siegel, Scott Simon, Daniel Schorr, Noah Adams, Cokie Roberts, David Sedaris, and others; historical moments of every kind, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to a surprise visit from the Cookie Monster; Pulitzer- and Peabody-Award-winning productions; and more. Drawn from NPR's vast archive, these selections are among the finest in journalism-excellence that enriches the spirit and touches the heart.
Featuring
Goodbye Saigon Host Noah Adams reflects on the fall of Saigon, with emotional remembrances from people who left, and those who stayed behind. Barack Obama's 1994 Commentary for All Things Considered in reaction to Charles Murray's controversial book The Bell Curve. Young Vietnam vet John Kerry's 1971 testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Baseball legend and Morning Edition commentator Red Barber. Special moments from This I Believe, StoryCorps, Planet Money, and other recurring features. And much, much more
Review
"This is nowhere near ALL the best work produced for NPR over the last 40 years, but it reminds us of what they do best: tickle our funny bones one minute and move us to tears the next."
--AudioFile
Review
"A must for NPR fans and history lovers."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
"All the stories in the audiobook offer something that the printed edition can't. They offer what I've always felt is the strength of public radio and grew to cherish as I worked in it--the ability to tell a story that is all in the voice and language."
--Renee Montagne of NPR, AudioFile interview Renee Montagne, NPR
Synopsis
A celebration of this anniversary milestone, featuring both new content and some of the most historic and iconic moments in NPR's first forty years on air.
Synopsis
NPR was created in 1970, three years after Congress passed the Public Broadcasting Act and established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Signing the act into law, President Lyndon B. Johnson said, "We in America have an appetite for excellence . . . we want most of all to enrich man's spirit." Today NPR produces and distributes programming that reaches more than 26 million listeners weekly. More than 900 stations nationwide broadcast NPR programming.
From the turmoil of the Vietnam era to a delightful visit with the riotously funny Dame Edna Everage, join hosts Susan Stamberg (1970s), Noah Adams (1980s), Renee Montagne (1990s), and Guy Raz (2000s) for an unforgettable journey through the first forty years of NPR. This commemorative collection overflows with thought-provoking commentaries, award-winning journalism and humor from the public radio programs that have become an essential part of our lives: All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, Tell Me More, Fresh Air and much more.
FEATURING:
David SedarisChris RockDame EdnaTerry GrossLittle RichardRed BarberIra GlassCar Talk's Tom and Ray MagliozziAnd many more.
About the Author
Internationally acclaimed, NPR produces and distributes programming that reaches a combined audience of 26.4 million listeners weekly, and, unlike other media, NPRs audience continues to grow. NPR member organizations operate 784 stations, and another 117 public radio stations also present NPR programs, for a total of more than 900 stations nationwide who broadcast NPR programming.
Table of Contents
1970s
Introduction by Susan StambergMay Day Demonstration in Washington Against the Vietnam WarLife Savers® Give Off SparksSpecial Coverage of President Nixon's ResignationNazi Demonstration at Marquette ParkRobert Krulwich and the $5 BillAftermath of Three Mile IslandJohn Henry Faulk on the BicentennialPickle Ranch: Family RunLife at the South PoleSunset1980s
Introduction by Noah AdamsWatching a Solar Eclipse with Your Head in a BoxRevolution in PragueFridays with Red: A RetrospectiveMiniskirt: Fashion Industry MistakeLittle Richard, the Quasar of RockYuppie Anguish: A Concept for the 80'sJim Crow: Blacks Survived with DignityChallenger DisasterRoger Boisjoly, Morton Thiokol EngineerGoodbye, Saigon1990s
Introduction by Renée MontagneDriving Lesson with Click and ClackClarence Thomas Accused of Sexual HarassmentProm NightDorothy West and the Harlem RenaissanceRwanda Carnage Claims Over 500,000 LivesPresident Clinton InterviewObjects of AffectionChris Rock InterviewAdolescence in War-Torn BosniaSantaland Diaries2000s
Introduction by Guy RazPlanet Money: Giant Pool of MoneyA Bit of a Chat with Dame EdnaChange Has ComeVernon Jordan on Politics, Obama and Civil RightsSeptember 11, 2001StoryCorps: Wives, Daughters, MothersWar Update: View from BaghdadKatrina: The Chertoff InterviewStuck and Suicidal in Post-Katrina Trailer ParkApril Fool's: New England Suffers Maple WoesCouple Frantic to Find Loved Ones in RubbleSafety, Prosperity Return to Afghan Village