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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Ted Turner, Joe Torre, List of Atlanta Braves Managers, Bobby Cox, Bobby Bragan, Bobby Wine, Eddie Mathews, Chuck Tanner, Russ Nixon, Dave Bristol, Billy Hitchcock, Clyde King, Connie Ryan, Vern Benson, Lum Harris, Eddie Haas, Ken Silvestri. Excerpt:Billy Hitchcock as a Detroit Tigers coach in 1957 William Clyde "Billy" Hitchcock (July 31, 1916 April 9, 2006) was an American infielder , coach , manager and scout in Major League Baseball . He also served as president of the class AA Southern League from 1971-80. His brother Jim played briefly for the 1938 Boston Braves . Career in uniform Born in Inverness , Alabama and a graduate of Auburn University , Hitchcock played all four infield positions during a nine-year American League active career. He broke in with the 1942 Detroit Tigers , spent three years in the Army Air Force in the Pacific during World War II , and resumed his major league career from 1946-53. A right-handed batter and thrower, he batted .243 with five home runs in 703 games with the Tigers, Washington Senators , Boston Red Sox , St. Louis Browns and Philadelphia Athletics . After AAA managing assignments in 1954 and 1961, sandwiched around a six-year (1955-60) term as a Detroit coach, Hitchcock was manager of the 1962-63 Baltimore Orioles , but the team barely broke the .500 mark (163-161); he was replaced by Hank Bauer , and moved into Baltimore's minor league department as field coordinator. Hitchcock began the 1966 season as a coach for the Atlanta Braves under Bobby Bragan , but when the Braves won only 52 of their first 111 games, Hitchcock took over. The Braves won 33 of their last 51 games to finish fifth in the National League in their maiden season in Georgia, and Hitchcock was invited back for 1967, but he was fired with the team in the seventh pla... ... Read more

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They were the odd couple of broadcast news, destined to alter global communications forever -- to free-for-all of a saga that's larger than life and more engaging than a major business book has any right to be.

1979. Down in Atlanta, Ted Turner was fighting his battles with the networks. Up in New York, Reese Schonfeld was warring with the network journalists. Then they joined forces in a magnificent experiment and, for the next three years, stood shoulder to shoulder and back to back -- until the allies became antagonists, and the unraveling of CNN began.

Turner was cable before cable was cool. Schonfeld was in the TV news business before there was a TV news business was tile best advertising salesman TV has ever known. Schonfeld had invented the first independent news agency that worked. Turner got cable companies to put CNN -- thefirst twenty-four-hour news network -- on the air. Schonfeld got newsmen to bet their lives on CNN. Turner brought in the money. Schonfeld brought in the news. Turner had been thrown out of Brown, Schonfeld, out of Harvard Law. Neither could tolerate authority. Both were control freaks. CNN was their baby.

1982. With CNN's ratings at an all-time high. Turner fired Schonfeld and gained control of CNN. Now it was totally his baby. Schonfeld went oil to, create News 12 and the Food Network. Ted went on to create TNT, the Cartoon Network, and Turner Movie Classics: become a legend; and sell his empire to Time Warner.

2000. Now Ted looks at news from the outside. Schonfeld plays one more long shot, trying to get back in. CNN is Time Warner's now. In the beginning, it was me and Ted against the world, but has the world finally won?

Me and Ted Against the World recounts tile no-holds-barred triumphs of CNN's beginnings, the tribulations of its middle age, and the tragedy of its current moment in the wake of Time Warner's projected sale to AOL. As broadly entertaining as it is enlightening about the brave universe of telecommunications and crammed with unforgettable characters and highly revealing anecdotes, Me and Ted Against the World is eye-opening in every sense of the word.

Customer Reviews (13)

A very interesting look at the founding of an important company
CNN has become a dominant force in new and politics in the 21st century. The story of its founding and the battle between the author and Ted Turner is outlined here. Once you get past Schonfeld's bias there is a great story here that shows how the network grew from the ground up.The government regulators, competition and airwave rules that helped to form the network are covered in detail. This is a must read for anyone interested in the television industry.

Story of the Founding of CNN

Reese Schonfeld wrote the book Me and Ted Against the World, (HarperCollins Publisher, 2001) which is described as the unauthorized story of the founding of CNN. Schonfeld writes that the time in which he was writing his book was a great period in the history of CNN because everything was in a mess. Ted Turner's deal with AOL/Time Warner was not working out the way he had planned. The numbers of viewers for CNN shows had declined. Everyone was nervous. But Schonfeld says this is a great time to be writing a book!
Reese Schonfeld was one Turner's partner for the first three years of the life of CNN. He was in the news business, and Ted turner was described as the best advertising salesman that TV had ever known. Together they worked to develop CNN. Both Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld were thrown out of their universities because they did not like authority, Schonfeld out of Harvard Law and Turner out of Brown University.
The reviewer says, "both were control freaks. CNN was their baby" (cover). However, in 1982, when CNN's ratings were at its highest, Turner fired Schonfeld and gained control of CNN. This story is told from Schonfeld's point of view. In the beginning, he writes that he will be cynical and tough when writing this book. Schonfeld says that although he did not invent 24 hour news, he did invent the idea of fluid news. This is the style he says that differentiates CNN from others. Fluid news is described as being spontaneous.
Schonfeld says that it took some time for the people he hired to understand this right away because they were used to perfect half-hour shows. Some learned and adjusted and some did not. Before he could fire the ones that did not learn, Mr. Turner fired him.
Over the years, he says that the network has become "constipated and sluggish." When CNN first started, Schonfeld says the audience was enthused about watching world news, but times have changed. He explains that people watch news that has relevance in their lives; they are turning back to watching local news more than cable news. Another problem, according to Schonfeld, is that CNN does not go into depth about any subject, and it spends more time reporting about international news than American events. The highest ratings, and the ones that made CNN the most famous, was the coverage of the Gulf War. The ratings at that time almost doubled.
There was another peak during the OJ Simpson Trial, and then a minor increase during Monica Lewinsky and the impeachment proceedings. Interestingly, although Schonfeld reports that the numbers are way down, he says that at the anniversary celebration, he was hearing over and over how much CNN had improved. He says, "This is a dangerous myth because it reverses the truth" (xvi). For those people who might want to learn about a 24 hour news station, they need to know what works and what doesn't, so the truth is good.
One of the ideas regarding CNN that made it different than other news networks was that the founders wanted to show the entire news making process, not just what appeared like magic on NBC. You could see much of the control room. The first set of CNN looked like the newsroom of a newspaper but with lights and cameras. Other television news was "romantic and mystical." But CNN wanted to show the nuts and bolts of the news. Schonfeld describes the style of CNN as deconstructionist. The philosophy of the news at CNN was bottom up news. There were 24 hours that had to be filled, and they wanted people from all bureaus to send them stories. There would be the big stories that everyone would cover, but they wanted to have some extra attractions. Schonfeld says that CNN was developed to "bear witness." It was created to make sure that all the sorrows of the world are told, and that all joys are celebrated. Of course, it was also created to make money, but the way was to present information so that people could understand current events, and place the events in historical context. It was also created so that viewers could call in and talk with commentators on CNN.
His philosophy is in order to sell news, the news has to be the best in the world. That would mean doing the news live as much as possible. It would also be to seek out the stories that everyone else is ignoring, and show why they are significant. In originality the network would find its strength. He quotes William Randolph Hearst who used to say, "there are no bad news stories, only bad reporters" (p. 12). Schonfeld says, "there are no slow news periods, only slow editors, slow producers" (p. 12). I guess this is an attitude you would have to have for 24 hour news.
Schonfeld said that it was his dream of having enough airtime and money so that stories could be told that would be seen around the world. His dream had the element that if you told the truth about what was happening, the world would be a better place. It took 23 years for technology to catch his dream. The development of satellite and cable allowed that. He learned in that time that everyone has an angle, and if you come to understand the angle, you could understand their story. Schonfeld criticized the major networks because he believed their main concern became making money, not presenting in-depth news. The networks were not in the news business; they were in the entertainment business. And all three presented the news in about the same way. Most of the stories came off the Associated Press wires or the mornings New York Times. The structure of the network was from the top down . Everybody did what they were told, and there were orders to follow that came from the top.
In 1979, Ted Turner called him as the news expert to help Turner start a new network of news. This was the first time that live news was the purpose of the network, not the obligation to fill in the news slot in between entertainment. No one was sure how it would work. Schonfeld says that he had a plan for CNN that had a lot of holes, but he knew that it would developed and be shaped into what it could become. "CNN would form itself as it found itself" (p. 15). One thing the network was going to do was tap into the news sources in cities all over the world. Then they could create a world news that was different from the conventional found in the New York Times or London Times. If they guessed about the right spot to put their cameras, Schonfeld knew the whole world would watch. They would help to set the news agenda for the world.
The book is a very interesting one to read. It is not just that the story of CNN is interesting as the first 24 all news network. That part of the book is interesting, of course. However, I think the real value of the book, especially for students of communication and journalism, is that it gives you so much detail about the life inside a news station. It describes the dynamics of this industry, the weaknesses, the strengths. It describes the lives of the personalities that are a part of the industry. It describes what the industry is, and what it could be. It is a fascinating book in this regard. It is bigger than the story of CNN, in my opinion. It is the story of news broadcasting, and Schonfeld tells it well.
I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially to those people who are interested in learning more about news and broadcast journalism. The last few years have been difficult for CNN, and you have to wonder if Schonfeld is not correct in his evaluation that the network has not reached its potential, but has become slowed down. Schonfeld did not end his career with CNN, of course. As described, he co-founded CNN, and then CNN Headline News. But he also created the first all-local news channel in 1985, News 12. And he created the Food Network in 1993. He is an interesting writer, and this was a fun book to read.

Mixed but worth reading...
The book is decently written though not consistently chronological throughout or organized in logical chapters. On the other hand, Reese doesn't claim it is his best but a rapidly developed version of his side of the story.

The behind-the-scenes stories, econmimc rationales, lucky breaks, clever ploys, hiring realities and nitty gritty outweigh the sometimes annoying themes: liberal-leaning Jewish boomer from New Jersey ("wrong-side of the tracks?"), occassional gratuitous name-droppping and way too much info about his own life story (not relevant in many places so it sometimes rambles). Reese doesn't take advantage of the many character assasination opportunities and shows restraint. Clearly, the man is a talented and visionary doer albeit narcissistic at times.

From a "Gen-X" business person's standpoint, mixed opinion but worth reading especially if you can get a used copy like I did.

Great account of what went into CNN
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot, there were many great behind-the-scenes stories that were quite intriguing. The only flaw is that the author uses the book to take a jab at Ted and pat himself on the back. But, he makes no qualms about that in the book's introduction. But, I can't really blame Reese. If I worked as hard as he did creating this network and nobody knows who he is, I'd be rather bitter too.
Still, a very good read - I would recommend to anyone in the media.

i got lost in another mans fantasies
It is rare that people actually truely find what they want to do. Dick Schofield did. This book recites all of the excitement of a new upstart idea turning into reality.

As quircky as Ted Turner was, the new staff was nothing short of a creative miracle. This book tracks the rise and fall of CNN. Some of the best stories were how with a smaller budget and less assets that CNN endlessly found workarounds which screwed over the larger networks.

I actually read this while I was in a makeshift navy jail, and it did more than just pass the time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Barclay's letters home from the war
As usual with contemporary letters, these are only useful in spots. Barclay gives good descriptions of the battles of First Manassas, First Winchester and Gettysburg (dispelling once and for all the myth that the Stonewall Brigade was not heavily involved in the latter). His expression is naturally limited by the fact that he's writing to relatives; there aren't a lot of humorous scenes of camp life here. We do find out something about the Liberty Hall Volunteers, Barclay's company, who were apparently something of a prima donna bunch and were often assigned as Jackson's HQ guards. Unfortunately, the letters have several gaps and do not cover the period from Spotsylvania, where Barclay was captured, to the end of the war. He was a prisoner during this period and it would have been interesting to know what his experiences were. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

My husband loves the book
My husband loves a how-to book and has really enjoyed what he's learned from this one. It is very useful for the solar home we are planning to build. ... Read more

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For over 155 years the America's Cup has been the world's most prestigious race for ocean-going yachts. This superb book tells the story of the Cup from the very beginning.It presents a unique collection of beautiful paintings depicting dramatic scenes from every match since 1851.Enlarged details of each painting reveal the artist's incredible attention to detail, and there are maps of the courses and line illustrations of every competing yacht.The first edition of this book was published in 1987. Since then, more paintings portraying the contest between the challenger and the Cup holder, with accompanying text and illustrations, have been added to bring the story right up to date.New material for the 2007 edition includes an addition to the Rogue's Gallery (Russell Coutts), plus information on new research and development of the America's Cup Class and the America's Cup course details. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Art Culinaire, published by Culinaire, Inc. on September 22, 2009. The length of the article is 3273 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Green Restaurants.(Industry Spotlight)(executives and environmentalists Ted Turner and George McKerrow, Jr.)(Interview)
Author: Unavailable
Publication: Art Culinaire (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2009
Publisher: Culinaire, Inc.
Issue: 94Page: 2(5)

Article Type: Interview

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This digital document is an article from Federal Communications Law Journal, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2005. The length of the article is 4705 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: My beef with big media: how government protects big media - and shuts out upstarts like me.
Author: Ted Turner
Publication: Federal Communications Law Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 57Issue: 2Page: 223(11)

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