Truth Worth Telling: A Reporter's Search for Meaning in the Stories of Our Times

by Scott Pelley

Overview

A monument to journalistic excellence…. Highly recommended!” —Douglas Brinkley, author of Cronkite and American Moonshot

Don’t ask the meaning of life. Life is asking, what’s the meaning of you?

With this provocative question, Truth Worth Telling introduces us to unforgettable people who discovered the meaning of their lives in the historic events of our times.

A 60 Minutes correspondent and former anchor of the CBS Evening News, Scott Pelley writes as a witness to events that changed our world. In moving, detailed prose, he stands with firefighters at the collapsing World Trade Center on 9/11, advances with American troops in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, and reveals private moments with presidents (and would-be presidents) he's known for decades.

Above all, Truth Worth Telling explores how the values of individuals change the course of history.

“In his debut, Pelley combines memoir, exposition, and exhortation to chronicle his long and honored career…. Piercing tributes to values and those who embody them mixed with crisp, detailed accounts of reporting in highly hazardous locations.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Pelley’s narratives are a riveting blend of investigative reporting, color commentary, and personal reminiscence; they make a convincing case for why journalism still matters.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781335081902
Publisher:	Hanover Square Press
Publication date:	05/04/2021
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	480
Sales rank:	517,125
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Scott Pelley has been a reporter and photographer more than 45 years. He is best known for his work on 60 Minutes and as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News. Pelley’s work has been recognized with 3 duPont-Columbia Awards, 3 Peabody Awards, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, and 37 Emmy Awards. Pelley is the most awarded correspondent in the history of 60 Minutes. He has been married to the love of his life, Jane, for 35 years. They have 2 children.

Table of Contents

1 Gallantry: The FDNY 17

2 Resolve: President Bush on 9/11 64

Field Note: Meeting the Late Don Hewitt in Botswana 83

3 Selflessness: Paulette Schank 86

4 Authenticity: Bruce Springsteen 93

5 Devotion: David Hall 101

Field Note: Kremlin Rules 118

6 Audacity: Ben Bernanke 123

7 Invincibility: Nadia Murad 149

Field Note: No Moss Gathers 157

8 Gratitude: Early Lessons 160

Field Note: Do You Believe in Signs? 182

9 Duty: Lessons in War 186

Field Note: The Last Shuttle 207

10 Vision: Elon Musk 211

11 Objectivity: Learning from Unpleasant Truth 224

Field Note: Eyes of the Beholders 237

12 Hubris: Trump v. Clinton 240

13 Skepticism: A Failure of Government and Journalism 265

Field Note: Stranger than Fiction 305

14 Perseverance: The Mothers and Fathers of Sandy Hook 314

15 Deceit: The Fabulist Mr. Clinton 328

16 Courage: Bao Tong 348

Field Note: Hello, Mom? 359

17 Valor: Patrick Marc Rapicault 362

Field Note: The Madman of Obock 373

18 Arrogance: A Cautionary Tale 376

Field Note: Empathy 398

19 To a Young Journalist 400

Conclusion: How Many Stars in Your Flag? 421

Acknowledgments 425

In Memoriam 427

Notes 429

Index 459

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Truth Worth Telling

“Scott Pelley doesn’t just get the story. He gets the point.” —New York Daily News

“Pelley’s narratives are a riveting blend of investigative reporting, color commentary, and personal reminiscence; they make a convincing case for why journalism still matters.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“In his debut, Pelley combines memoir, exposition, and exhortation to chronicle his long and honored career.… Piercing tributes to values and those who embody them mixed with crisp, detailed accounts of reporting in highly hazardous locations.” —Kirkus Reviews

"A passionate defense of the role of journalism in maintaining democracy... In an era when journalism and journalists are under attack, this is a reminder of the power of story to recognize the best in each of us and society." —Library Journal

"Cognizant of the current state of distrust of the media, veteran newsman Pelley focuses on universal human traits as he examines the essential role of journalists to hold a mirror to our better angels and, at times, worst enemies.... It is in his advice to young journalists that Pelley’s wisdom shines brightest, for he is a fervent advocate of the honor and necessity of a free and intrepid press." —Booklist

"Scott Pelley's Truth Worth Telling is a monument to journalistic excellence. In riveting prose Pelley recounts how covering the 9/11 tragedy and Middle Eastern wars has forever changed his world perspective. His personal stories about the enduring power of the First Amendment, 60 Minutes, and U.S. Presidential history are priceless. Highly recommended!" -Douglas Brinkley, Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University, and author of Cronkite

Praise for Scott Pelley

“The most well-qualified and proven television journalist ever to ascend to the anchor job.” —Columbia Journalism Review

“The legacy of Edward R. Murrow lives in the daring, long-range investigations of Scott Pelley.” —Washington Times

“Genuine gravitas and commitment to his craft.” —Variety

“Pelley’s tenure has been marked by his intelligent, truth-seeking approach to the news, pulling no punches while still remaining impartial.” —Washington Post

From the Publisher

2019-03-17
Declaring that "values matter," the 60 Minutes reporter and former CBS Evening News anchor examines a number of values, virtues, and vices he sees in America—and around the world.

In his debut, Pelley combines memoir, exposition, and exhortation to chronicle his long and honored career. His strong opinions, however, are not partisan: He assails our current president but also the Clintons and others, regardless of party, who have failed to adhere to the virtues he identifies, such as gallantry, devotion, gratitude, and vision. The text is organized thematically. The author begins with the efforts of the FDNY during 9/11 and ends with what reads like a "go-forth-and-do-good-work" graduation speech to new graduates at a journalism school. He includes tributes to (and denunciations of) well-known figures—e.g., George W. Bush, whom Pelley treats kindly and appreciatively for his 9/11 leadership and then takes to task for the Iraq War—and figures whom he escorts from the wings into the limelight. Among these are a military nurse in Iraq, the parents of Sandy Hook students, and Bao Tong, a member of the Chinese government who spoke against Tiananmen Square—and has paid a lifelong price. Occasionally, Pelley inserts between chapters a minisection entitled "Field Note," mostly anecdotal, personal comments about his experiences or observations during his reporting days. One recurrent theme is the importance of free speech and the free press. He worries about the current climate, rife with the proliferation of fake news on social media. Pelley is consistently generous in his praise of his colleagues; producers, camera operators and many others earn high marks in the author's gradebook. Of Bob Simon, for example, he writes, "I learned more from [him] than any other colleague."

Piercing tributes to values and those who embody them mixed with crisp, detailed accounts of reporting in highly hazardous locations.

Kirkus Reviews