A Reporter's Life

From the age of six, when he went dashing down a hill to spread the news of President Harding's death through his Kansas City neighborhood, Walter Cronkite's vocation was unmistakable. Now, at the age of eighty, Cronkite has written his life story - the personal and professional odyssey of the original "anchorman", for whom that very word was coined. As a witness to the crucial events of this century - first for the Houston Press, then for the United Press wire service and finally for CBS in the fledgling medium of television - Cronkite has set a standard for integrity, objectivity, enthusiasm, compassion and in sight that would be difficult to surpass. He is an overflowing vessel of history, a direct link with the people and places that have defined our nation and established its unique role in the world.