DAN Rather is the latest network news anchor to produce a book for the end of the millennium.
“Deadlines & Datelines: Essays Written at the Turn of The Century” is a collection of 99 short compositions drawn from the CBS anchor’s library of newspaper and magazine articles and essays from his daily CBS radio program.
The pieces – except for a handful – were written by Rather and offer his personal perspective on news events that have played a part in shaping the last part of this century.
“Deadlines & Datelines” (William Morrow) is due to hit stores next month and follows millennium-theme books by Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings.
“I hope the book will touch off a feeling or a sunburst of thought about the end of the 20th century and what we’ve been through,” Rather said yesterday.
“What I like best about this book is that it’s easy to read,” he said. “If you don’t like the piece that you’re reading, just turn the page and there’s a whole new piece a page or two beyond it.”
Topics range from recent hard news – such as the impact of Abner Louima’s alleged NYPD torture, school shootings and the Kenneth Starr investigation – to softer, more emotional items such as Rather’s 1985 tribute, “The Last Grandmother.”
The last part of the book consists of lighter pieces that reveal a side of Rather not usually seen on his “CBS Evening News” telecasts.