Personal History

Many have defined her as a pioneering feminist, and that she was, though she came into feminist consciousness with tentative baby steps well into her tenure as a pioneering CEO of a major corporation. But feminism never defined Katharine Graham. In many ways she defined it as she reinvented herself again and again. In the process she came to understand the low grade oppression women suffer in even the most progressive society, but her raised consciousness was only one facet of her lifelong education.

Her transformation from oppressed wife to CEO is a thrilling one, though it's the only part of the book that seems just a little disingenuous. Graham presents herself as a naif, unschooled in the way of boardrooms and balance sheets, as if she were called into the cockpit to fly a 747 before taking any flying lessons. The reality seems to be that the whole first part of her life, filled though it was the perquisites of a high born society matron and CEO's wife, was in fact a long preparation for her ultimate destiny as the leader of a venerable publication.

Even if Katharine Graham inherited the paper as a birthright, her handling of her role was nothing less than heroic at times. Shepherding the paper through the 60's and 70's, and the upheavals of Vietnam, Watergate, and the labor unrest at the Washington Post itself, she made decisions on epic matters which were usually correct and always reponsible. At the end of her tenure, with a little help from her friend Warren Buffett, the paper had rewarded its patient stockholders with a runup undreamed of when she started.

Among the book's many admirable qualities is Ms. Graham's writing style. It's straightforward and honest without betraying a hint of sanctimoniousness. From her rarefied position she brings the reader up to her level without patronizing. The way she tells her story, the thing that emerges from underneath all the power, glory, wealth, and adventure is one woman's class and decency.


One of the best books I have read this year   November 25, 2001
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I got a little frustrated reading the some of the reviews for this book: depending on the reviewer's political persuasion, he or she seems to recommend or pan the book. Graham doesn't attempt to hide that she is a Democrat, but this shouldn't draw or repulse a potential reader. I encourage people to read this book because it is one of the most interesting, best-written books I have read this year. I read several hundred books each year, ranging from fluff to history to 'literature' to mystery. Mrs. Graham's autobiography is everything a good book should be - riveting, witty, and thought-provoking. It has enough gossip to rival a mass-audience novel, and yet manages to engage the reader completely. I was thrilled to live through the decades of the 20th Century with her and her family - they seem to have known or have been in some contact with everyone who was anyone.

Most imporant, perhaps, is how frankly she discusses her relationship with her family and her struggle with her public persona. I appreciate the delicate balance she achieves with praising her husband while describing how she survived being married to a manic-depressive. Although no one could consider her political commentary in the book to be neutral, the sophisticated reader should be able to interpret the author's opinions as such. I don't have to agree with her to admire her, nor is it necessary for me to regard the book as objective to enjoy reading it.