We Interrupt This Broadcast: The Events That Stopped Our Lives...from the Hindenburg Explosion to the Virginia Tech Shooting

by Joe Garner

This edition features 3 audio CDs with actual broadcasts and includes a new afterword from NBC's Brian Williams.

"Altogether, the book and CDs are a keeper, offering both valuable history lessons and a dramatic record of the definitive moments for generations of Americans." -Publishers Weekly

"The CDs deliver an exciting, engaging exercise. The events are all hugely memorable. The bits of historic sound are powerfully evocative."
-Baltimore Sun

"Garner has done a masterful job of collecting these moments, and with the accompanying CDs, one can listen over and over to the moments that shaped this century." -Booklist

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Journalism, War, Science, Historical, Audiobook

194 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1998

Reviews

[Mai M Ibrahim · Rating 5 out of 5]

الكتاب عن نقدر نقول الكوارث اللي مر بيها العالم أو امريكا خاصة بداية من ١٩٣٧ من حروب واغتيالات وحوادث ارهابية لغاية ٢٠٠١ حادث برجين التجارة

مكنش ف احداث عربية غير يمكن حرب الخليج اللي دخلت فيها امريكا لتحرير الكويت

الكتاب مليان صور للأحداث .. الله يخليلنا ويكيبيديا 😂 اللي كان معايا ع الخط لما كنت بعمل سيرش ع الأحداث علشان افهم اسرع بالعربي

ف حدث استوقفني واللي حصل ١٩٩٩ ل ٢ ف مدرسة ثانوي قتلوا الطلاب ومدرس وبعدين انتحروا وبقوا مشهورين جدا لدرجة ان اللي عملوه ده بقى معروف ب columbine effect وأم احد الولدين دول عملت كتاب وطلعت ف Tedx موجود ع اليوتيوب بمشاهدات ١٢ مليون لغاية دلوقتي


كتاب حلو
ياريت لو ف حاجه كده لأحداث مصرية أو عربية لتوثيق التاريخ للأجيال اللي جايه اللي غالبا ف البلالا والتيك توك واكل دماغهم 🙂

بصور الكتب الورقية اللي بقرأها ع انستجرام 👇
@mai.designer92

[Jim Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such an emotional journey through my past for me. Granted, going back to 1937 (the Hindenburg explosion) and the Second World War exceeds my lifespan. But, there were so many stories that brought back vivid memories:

* The assassinations of President Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy and John Lennon;

* The Apollo missions ... one that landed men on the moon, and the other that almost resulted in a tragedy after an explosion on board;

* The Kent State Massacre;

* The Challenger explosion;

* The Rodney King riots;

* The Waco stand-off and tragedy;

* The Munich Olympics;

* The Oklahoma City bombing;

* The death of Princess Diana

The book provided enough background details and many photographs to bring tears to my eyes several times over.

I don’t usually concentrate on quoting material in my comments, but the Forward by Walter Cronkite (written in 1998) is so prescient that I feel the need to print two sections here:

“ Television has changed the face of journalism. In a time when, using the magic tube, political leaders can go over the heads of their own parties, when heads of state soar over national boundaries to address people of other countries, the journalist’s job takes on a new dimension. In broadcasting, there is need for instant analysis and the provisions of background information so that the people shall not be mislead by skillful demagogues with these new means of persuasion at their command.”

“The preservation of our liberties depends on the enlightened citizenry. Those who get most of their news from television probably are not getting enough information to intelligently exercise their voting franchise in a democratic system. As Thomas Jefferson said, the nation that expects to be ignorant and free expects what never can and never will be. We can bring that up-to-date and amplify it a bit: the nation whose population depends on the explosively compressed headline service of television news can expect to be exploited by the demagogues and dictators who prey upon the semi-informed.”

I highly recommend this book.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very sad but so interesting to go back and live some of the most horrific days in our modern history through the eyes of the journalists who covered the stories. I was alive for maybe half of them and the book took me back to those days when I heard about the deaths of Princess Diana and John F. Kennedy Jr., Columbine, 9-11, etc.

It also took me back and showed me parts of history that I wasn't around for but that were so ingrained in our history books like World War II, Pearl Harbor, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy.

I would definitely recommend this book to any history buffs out there.

[Don Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book “We Interrupt This Broadcast” authored by Joe Garner with Forward by Walter Cronkite was published by Sourcebooks in 1998. This exceptional book presents the top world events from the Hindenburg blimp explosion in 1937 to the 1997 tragic death of British Princess Diana. The book features 38 events and contains 2 audio cds narrated by Bill Kurtis. At the time of the book’s publication, Joe Garner was an executive with Westwood One —owners of NBC Radio Networks and the Mutual Broadcasting System. Bill Kurtis had an exceptional broadcast career with CBS and A&E Network. The book has over 700 exceptional pictures of the 38 chronicled events. Garner and Kurtis give readers and listeners an amazing experience of life events that profoundly impacted our world’s history. (P)

[Aleigha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read for any history lover. It is a little on the short side but the CDs make up for it in my opinion. To hear some of the actual recordings from these historical moments was amazing and heartbreaking at the same time.

The book goes from 1937-1997 and although you may come across stuff you already know you are bound to find one or two things you may have forgotten about or not known quite a bit about. Definitely a quick little read it's well worth it, and the CDs are most definitely worth a listen.

[Wesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good at showing the facts of the disasters that have taken place in the past century. These disasters must be really hard to write, but I think that people need to know about this so they can prevent it from happening, and to honor the people (good) that have died in these disasters.

[Susan Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely basic overview of astronomical events which is why the audio broadcasts are included, however, keep in mind, this is based on what was known and reported to the public at the time and not what was eventually discovered to be truth. A good beginner book on a few events that shape our world today. Deeper analyzation of each event is necessary.

[Richard Crater · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contained 2 audio CDs of the actual news broadcasts of 22 events outlined that spanned from the 1930's to 1990's. I knew of most of them, but was unaware of many of the details. Having the great voice of Bill Kurtis (of A&E fame) was outstanding.

[Jessica Belisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally encountered this book at the local library back in like 2000, and they keep updating it with new editions and is a great brief on big moments in US history since the dawn of the broadcast age.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book which will be of interest to history buffs, but written for the general public. Don't expect the little reports on each event to have much detail or analysis. If you lived through the event, you probably already know everything Garner wrote about it. The bonus are the two audio CDs that play bits of each original broadcast, with a quick introduction.

[Kyle Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very brief overview of historical events and their broadcasts. I didn’t have the cds that would play the actual broadcasts of the events, so I had to reply on my own research to find them (not fully knowing if it was the ones that the author intended.)

[Andrew Ramsaran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not comprehensive and in depth on much, but it is interesting for younger kids who dont know what it was like to get radio news. The CD is a must.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for history, that means I completely loved this book.

[Alex Simeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's an interesting crash course on historical events that shook the world. i noticed the book covered around 70%-80% American related events that i never really knew about being a non-American so i could not relate to it but it was still an interesting read learning about those stuff. there were some events in the book that affected the whole world that i could relate to learning about it through school & through textbooks and it's insane to think about how media played a part in broadcasting these different news because without media, the public would not be aware of these events happening all over the world. various events in the book included Princess Diana's death, John Lennon's assassination, JFK's assassination, Apollo 11, World War II Pearl Harbor, Martin Luther King, Berlin Wall etc.

i also found it funny that the events coverage of the book ended in 1997 and i was born in 1998 hahaha. so i never experienced any of the events that they covered and i only get to learn about it through texts and through the media. i'll definitely listen to the audio CD's when i have time.

"Once again, television had demonstrated its ability to mold public opinion by either exposing or inoculating viewers to the true horrors of war."

[theduckthief · Rating 3 out of 5]

"There are events that have become more than defining moments in history; they've become benchmarks for our lives, reference points for "where we were when..." Almost without exception, there is a television or radio broadcast that indelibly etched the moment in our imagination, weaving itself into our memories of the event itself." - page xiii

This book is a compendium of events that have influenced the world for the past 70 years. They include events both political and social, full of joy and grief. Each story has accompanying photos as well as cds with the actual broadcasts that changed the lives of so many. Small details are included to help flesh out the description of events. For example, both Neil Armstron and Buzz Aldrin wore 185-pound spacesuits for their moonwalk but thanks to the moon's gravity they had little trouble getting around. Events like the moon landing have helped to shape our world today and it's thanks to those broadcasters who informed the world.

The Good:

This book causes curiosity. After reading about the Hindenburg and the fact that the US, the world's only source for helium, had priced the precious gas out of reach of the Germans, I wanted to know more. The book is also educational as well as reflective. I'd always assumed Korea was divided after the 1950 Korean War but it turns the country was separated into north and south after WWII.

Amazing photos accompany each story, giving the reader insight into the time and place of the events. My personal favourite was the celebration at the Brandenberg Gate during the reunification of Germany. Night had fallen but the scene was lit with blazing lights and fireworks. People were crammed together, surrounding the gate that had once served as a passage between the two Berlins.

There are also three cds that include the actual broadcasts from the stories. They really brought the events to life and you can track the passage of time throughout. For example, you can hear the formality and the archaic diction from the man reporting on the Hindenburg disaster.

In all I would recommend the book to history lovers. This book is chock full of events from the past and the cds bring them back to life.

The Bad:

I was curious as to the decision to start in 1937 with the Hindenburg disaster. There were earlier events that gripped the world that I thought could have been included such as the Lindbergh kidnapping. I was hoping for a broader spectrum of broadcasts but the majority of the stories seemed squished into the 90s.

I wish that there had been more international stories included in this book. It seemed too Amero-centric to me. While I agree that many moments in American history gave the world pause, such as the moon landings, I don't think stories like "Truman defeats Dewey", belong in the same category, let alone the same book.

As well, there were some stories I couldn't relate to, as they had either happened before my time or had little impact on my life. I didn't grow up in the era of the Cold War so it's hard to comprehend the anxiety around atomics and the Cuban Missile Crises.

The Ugly:

Somebody find Eli Wallach.

[Margret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book, well done. This book includes two CDs where you can listen to Bill Kurtis narrate the events. I did learn a lot from this book. Some of the events I didn’t recognize, however it was interested it to learn about how these events happened.

[Bryan]

Please Keep True to the Title: I have a previous edition of this book. It covered the Diana death, and I believe that is where it stopped. My complaint with the book is only that, as the topics progresses closer to current times, the interruptions became less "spontaneous."
The book's premise was to provide the first live broadcast interruption that the public heard, to create the same chills that people felt, to relive the first realization of the shocking event just as it happened. By the time the book got to Dianna's death, the news clips became more general, more like an end of the year re-cap of what had happened, instead of the first terror-filled report that something had gone wrong.
But a great book, other than that! Perhaps the problem has been fixed in this newer edition.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would've have loved it if this had been a full-length audiobook of the actual radio and television broadcasts of these events. As it is, the two discs were just a small sampling and left me wanting more. It gives you chills hearing the description of the event as it unfolded - Herbert Morrison's horrified exclamation of "Oh, the humanity!" as the Hindenburg burned; Walter Cronkite pausing to compose himself as he reported John F. Kennedy's death; Katie Couric's initial report that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. The 20th century was certainly filled with triumph and tragedy, and it's remarkable that we have been able to preserve such extensive records of those moments.

[Lars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covering sound bites from the Hindenburg explosion to Desert Storm, this book provides general overviews of the events featured and includes two audio CDs with actual broadcasts of the events.

As a history student, thing like this are valuable as primary sources as they give the sources and additional details that may be valuable for a paper or other writings. I actually purchased this for pleasure, not academics, and was not disappointed.

[Cat. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't really the kind of book to which "fun" can be applied, but it was well done. There are two CDs included so as you read the text, you can listen to Bill Kurtis narrate the soundtrack of news reports.

I skipped around a lot here, only reading/listening to the stories I remember, and those I was really interested in like D-Day and the death of Marilyn Monroe.

Good book to get the sense of the times in which these events happened.

[Candace W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took this book out from the library, so I didn't get the two audio CD's that were to accompany the book. I think that hurt the overall appeal of it for me. It's basically a couple pages for each newsworthy event, with some of the iconic pictures that captured the moment.

I had thought the book was going to have some analysis of the broadcasts or the way things are broadcast, then and now, as breaking news. It was literally just little recaps of each event.

A bit disappointment.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've become a history buff recently and have been reading anything to teach me about the past--both fiction and nonfiction. I listened to the accompanying cds that give recordings of important news stories beginning in the 1930s and going forward. These recorded newscasts were far more interesting than any history class I have ever taken and have reconstructed several of my past decades--man, that sounds like I'm getting old!! Oh well--I highly recommend listening to these cds.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I mostly listened to the CD (which are not really like the book - How is it that a journalist gets to change the words of an author that wrote the book he is reading?) Still it was pretty interesting to hear about another facet of the news events that have shaped the last hundred years in the US.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good review of the last 60 years. I particularly enjoyed the accompanying audio disks with the actual radio and TV news flashes. I do think they stretched the importance of certain events such as the O.J. Simpson saga and the death of John F. Kennedy Jr. In the light of the next 50 years, I doubt either of these will show up on the radar.

[Sarai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book details events that shook the world. The best part is that it includes CDs with the actual as-it-happened newscasts. Some of these made chills go up my spine. It's a great way to get a glimpse into the past and to feel a hint of what the world was feeling when the event happened.

[Quick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love historical books like this. I remember one thing from this book and that is the death of Princess Diana.

A good book for when your bored.

[Rose]

070.1 Gar

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book for a history buff

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing collection of the greatest events in the history of the 20th Century as broadcast by the news reporters themselves.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The combination of book and audio CDs was pulled off very well, I really enjoyed hearing the actual broadcasts after reading each story.