BBC’s three-part show ‘The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty’ has been essential viewing in recent days as home holidays and second homes loom. For many in the world of journalism and politics, an added chill is spotting all those who weren’t interviewed but got caught up in old footage, like former Dow Jones CEO Will Lewis.
The series reminded me of the plethora of books on different aspects of Murdoch’s history and business empire. here is a roundup of some of the latest and most interesting titles.
You are reading: Books about rupert murdoch
audience one: donald trump, television and the fracture of america
james poniewozik (2019)
well-reviewed analysis of american television and trump, by the new york times television critic, with fox news and murdoch playing a central role.
The Murdoch Method: Notes on Running a Media Empire
irwin stelzer (2019)
astute assessment of murdoch’s business approach; The fact that Stelzer is an unofficial adviser to Murdoch and a conservative business columnist at the Sunday Times may have clouded the book’s critical reception. Stelzer didn’t mince words, suggesting that when Murdoch divorced his second wife Anna in 1999, the good ship Murdoch “lost some of its ballast.”
The Battle for Heaven: The Murdochs, Disney, Comcast, and the Future of Entertainment
christopher williams (2019)
Classic business book from the business associate editor of the daily telegraph.
A Messy Life: What I Saw in the Media Revolution
les hinton (2018)
hinton was a top executive at murdoch for 50 years, before being fired as the fall guy for a wiretap. The book is only partially kiss-and-tell, and is filled with Hinton’s love-hate relationship with Murdoch. He reminds us in the book (and interviewed on the BBC series) that Murdoch’s true love is business, and that he has few genuine friends outside of it.
the last great journalistic war of the united states
mike jaccarino (2020)
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A view from the trenches of the “death of printing,” covering the battle between Murdoch’s New York Post and the New York Daily News, where the author worked.
foxocracy: inside the network’s tribal warfare manual
tobin smith (2019)
a fox news exposé by a former contributor.
the loudest voice in the room: how the brilliant and bombastic roger ailes built fox news and divided a country
gabriel sherman (2014)
a new york times bestseller that relies (inevitably) on unattributed quotes. sherman continues to write about the family in new york magazine.
the man who owns the news: inside the secret world of rupert murdoch
michael wolff (2010)
an older book from the star biographer who later wrote about trump. What makes it even more interesting is that Murdoch agreed to be interviewed by Wolff for more than 50 hours. The result, critical and rather sarcastic, seems to have persuaded Murdoch not to grant that access again.
hack attack: how the truth caught rupert murdoch
nick davies (2015)
The Guardian investigative journalist Nick Davies broke the story of the wiretapping scandal that sparked world news.
Beyond Contempt: The Inside Story of the Phone Hacking Trial
peter jukes (2015)
a detailed account of the phone hacking trial, based on half a million juke words tweeted live during the trial.
breaking news: sex, lies & the murdoch succession
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paul barry (2014)
one of the books that examines in detail the wiretapping scandal, as well as the murdoch empire and its succession. the best quote is from conrad black: [rupert’s] old possum routine… stumbling to a parliamentary hearing… leaning on each arm like a half century old corpse, mumbling about humility.
sunburns: the unofficial story of the sun newspaper in 99 headlines
james felton available October 2020
the global impact of the murdoch empire is marked by a series of regionally focused titles:
the creation of star india: the incredible story of rupert murdoch’s indian adventure
vanita kohli-khandekar (2019)
the war against journalism
andrew fowler (2015)
an Australian journalist critical of murdoch and negative trends in the international media.
rupert’s adventures in china: how murdoch lost a fortune and found a wife
bruce dover 2011
date now due to departure of wife wendi and arrival of fourth wife jerry.
finally, sarah ellison appears in the bbc documentary as one of the most informed and dispassionate observers of the murdochs. now at the washington post, she wrote extensively about mudochs and the media industry for vanity fair for many years, and her 2010 book is still extremely helpful :
the war in the wall street journal: how rupert murdoch bought an american icon
sarah ellison (2010)
andrew marhsall is the vice president of cognito
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