Personal History (ISBN 0375701044)

Amazon.com Review:
In lieu of an unrevealing Famous-People-I-Have-Known autobiography, the owner of the Washington Post has chosen to be remarkably candid about the insecurities prompted by remote parents and a difficult marriage to the charismatic, manic-depressive Phil Graham, who ran the newspaper her father acquired. Katharine's account of her years as subservient daughter and wife is so painful that by the time she finally asserts herself at the Post following Phil's suicide in 1963 (more than halfway through the book), readers will want to cheer. After that, Watergate is practically an anticlimax.

Excellent Read, Every Page Brings Insights:
It is long (642 pages), and the print is small. Why would anyone want to read it? Because every page has something of interest in it. And because this is not only the personal history of Katharine Graham, but a view of the United States from a woman reluctantly thrust into power by the death of her Washington Post husband. The time covered is from the early 1900s, when her parents met, through the early 1990s. Think of how life changed during that time. Mrs. Graham was raised by nannies in New York while her parents were busy helping out in Washington. She showed her independence by attending the radical University of Chicago and working before she married. When Katherine's father stepped down from management of the Washington Post, her husband, Phil, took his place. When Phil became ill and died, it was she who became president of the Washington Post Company. Constantly during this sweep through politics, labor relations, corporate management, the rise of feminism, the importance of communications, and much more, Graham weaves her personal growing consciousness of where she and other women stand in relationship to it all. She writes of the help she received and downplays her own acumen in becoming the only woman in the Fortune 500. Never does she flaunt who she was, who she became, and the power she held. Every page brings not only her personal insights about the (mostly) maturing of America, but also explains how she gains confidence while remaining concerned with and involved in her own family as well. An excellent read, but don't expect to finish it in one reading. by Judith Helburn for StorycircleBookReviews www.storycirclebookreviewsorg reviewing books by, for, and about women

The pefrect autobiography:
Absolutely perfect biography. Graham's book is frank in ways few would care to be. Her leadership of the Washington Post has been much talked about, and I'm a big fan of the paper, so it was a fascinating story. When she took over the Post in the 1960s, women could not be found in too many positions of power. She honestly discusses her difficulties, self doubts, and mistakes in ways one is not likely to find in many other places. Since I find politics interesting, I appreciated Graham's insights into the development of media over the twentieth century and her candid insider thoughts on some of the most important and powerful leaders of the 20th century.

A Life Lesson:
This is a great book about a great woman! Interesting to see how even the privileged have difficult experiences in life and how it all only depend on us. We are very capable of achieving our goals and this book shows that even though it might not be easy, in the end, it can be very rewarding. This book shows a great insight in the history of newspaper business and politics.

Katherine Graham - Personal History:
Excellent seller. I would definately buy from them again or recommend them to family and friends. The item was exactly as described.

An extraordinary self portrayal:
I came to Graham's autobiography after reading Schroeder's "The Snowball" in which Warren Buffett heaped much praise on Graham's running of the Washington Post. But, I found in Graham's rendition the truth was that she stumbled through life as well as being the owner of the Post. She was very honest in assessing her successes. What was successful for her is simply what endured and what failed was eventually sold. It was a simple case of trial and error but having enough wealth to see it through. I found fascinating Graham's perceptions and stories about the Kennedys, Kissinger, Nixon, Johnson, Reagan and other world figures who effected world events. This provided me with insight to Buffett's personality, i.e. his child like reliance on female support while being exceptionally gifted as an investor. Buffett's relationship with Graham was quite close, but she kept this to remarkably few words. Yet, I did gain the insight I sought. Few personalities have ever had the courage to expose themselves as openly as Graham did in this very personal history.