Comments on: The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:58:08 +0000

1.0 out of 5 stars
Boring … No Quotes
For all of the vaunted access that Mr. Wolff was granted to Murdoch, how is it that the book has almost no quotes from the man? Or from anyone else for that matter.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 07:16:25 +0000

1.0 out of 5 stars
Boring
I bought this book hoping a story about Murdoch’s business experience and skills. What I got was a gossipy book about a lot of characters I don’t care about.

By: Philyra

Philyra — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:20:07 +0000

2.0 out of 5 stars
A Poorly Written, Unorganized, Gossipy Waste of Time
This poorly-written book is supposed to be about Rupert Murdoch but it is more accurately about two aspects of Murcdoch’s life–his recent marriage to a Chinese woman and his…

By: Pahukumaa

Pahukumaa — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:31:27 +0000

2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
A long magazine piece turned into a bit of a rambling, disjointed book. Several bits of gossip (“Rupert dyes his own hair in the sink”; “Rupert loves gossip” ) are repeated over…

By: Jovita

Jovita — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:43:06 +0000

5.0 out of 5 stars
RUPERT AND WARREN SO MUCH ALIKE
IF THE AUTHOR’S HAUGHTY ATTITUDE WAS NOT AS OMNIPRESENT THE BOOK WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER. WISE CRACKS AND SLANDER ASIDE THE LIFE OF MR.

By: Bash

Bash — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:38:41 +0000

2.0 out of 5 stars
interesting subject matter, extremely disappointing book
Wow, I feel like a total fool for purchasing this book. I bought this in an airport store right before a flight so the only reason I even got all the way through it was out of…

By: Mutia

Mutia — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:09:07 +0000

Here’s a book that wouldn’t even make a half way decent very short article in Vanity Fair. Most of the story-telling and characters run from flat to downright boring. In light of the back WSJ acquisition story, influential if not colorful people Wolff got access to, big media world knowledge that he keeps reminding you he has, etc. there’s no excuse for such a poor outcome.

By: Galiena

Galiena — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:31:09 +0000

Wolff, in that snarky New York way, does a wonderful job of slicing and dicing the Murdochian world of News Corp., Rupert’s confused family life, his outsider status and rapacious instincts, and his stalking the Wall Street Journal. His buccaneering negotiations for the Journal and the clueless disparate Bancroft family are center stage with fascinating detours on Murdoch’s upbringing, his foray into the staid world of London journalism and then his invasion of America. Wolff’s characterizations of the world of modern media are priceless; for example, Fox News that ” very odd combination of mischief and sanctimony – the perfect tabloid formula.” One might read this book as a long magazine piece but it misses its entertainment value and the strong undercurrent of accuracy and insight Wolff brings to his portrait of Murdoch and the iffiness of modern media and news.

By: Emilia

Emilia — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:56:05 +0000

1.0 out of 5 stars
A book about Wolff, not Murdoch?
Potentially interesting subject but the author’s ego looms larger than that of his subjects. Wolff has so many opinions that Rupert and co barely get a word in edgeways.

By: Walda

Walda — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:25:47 +0000

2.0 out of 5 stars
Yes Michael, newspapers are businesses, too….
This book is a worthwhile read for media junkies. Yet it’s ultimately more about Michael Wolff than Rupert Murdoch.