This is a tale about big business, an imploding dynasty, a mogul at war, and a deal that sums up an era of change. The main character, rocked by feuding factions and those who would remake it, is the Wall Street Journal, which affects the thoughts, votes, and stocks of two million readers daily. Sarah Ellison, while at the Journal, won praise for covering the $5 billion acquisition that transformed the pride of Dow Jones and the estimable but eccentric Bancroft family into the jewel of Rupert Murdoch's kingdom. Going above and beyond her original reporting and the accounts of others, Ellison uses her knowledge of the paper and its people to go deep inside the landmark transaction—and also far beyond it, into the rocky transition when Murdoch's crew tussled with old Journal hands and geared up for battle with the New York Times. With access to all the players, Ellison moves from newsrooms (where editors duel) to estates (where the Bancrofts go at it like the Ewings). She shows Murdoch, finally, for who he is—maneuvering, firing, and undoing all that the Bancrofts had protected. Here is a superlative account of a deal with reverberations beyond the news, told with the storytelling savvy that transforms big stories into timeless chronicles of American life and power.
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"i wouldn't have thought i'd be interested in this topic and just started it because it was written by a friend of mine. But i found it to be quite a page turner. very engaging, well written and interesting. and amazingly brave of her to write given that hardly anyone comes out well in it." — Deirdre (4 out of 5 stars)
"i wouldn't have thought i'd be interested in this topic and just started it because it was written by a friend of mine. But i found it to be quite a page turner. very engaging, well written and interesting. and amazingly brave of her to write given that hardly anyone comes out well in it."
“War at the Wall Street Journal is the inside scoop.”
Sarah Ellison has written a definitive, indeed cinematic, account.... She spins an absorbing yarn played out on super-yachts and in corporate jets, populated by an irresistible cast of characters.
“A scrupulously fair, careful account written from a close distance.”
“A definitive, indeed cinematic, account…played out on super-yachts and in corporate jets, populated by an irresistible cast of characters.”
“Ellison, who covered the takeover of Dow Jones as a Wall Street Journal reporter, uses her access…to chronicle the deal with precision. Inside the news business such detailed narratives are called ‘tick-tocks,’ and hers beats like a metronome.”
“Balanced and nuanced…a riveting and engaging examination of the current state of US media and the drama behind one of its most important companies.”
" A should-read company profile for knowledge workers, managers, directors, C-levels, and entrepreneurs. "
" I preferred Michael Wolf's bio of Rupert Murdoch on this topic. But this does give the backstory on what went on with the Bancroft family. "
" Rupert Murdoch isn't an evil genius, he just knows what people want. A fascinating fly-on-the-wall report from a journalist working for the Wall Street Journal reporting on the process of acquisition. "
" Interesting, if not entirely compelling. If you care about Business journalism though, its a worthy read. "
" Fair. Interesting about the "behind the scenes" buying the WSJ from the Bancroft family. I like Murdoch. "
" Really helped me understand how NewsCorp changes the papers it buys. I've seen these same changes initiated at the WSJ "
Sarah Ellison led the Wall Street Journal’s coverage of Rupert Murdoch’s bid for Dow Jones. Her stories about the media business have been recognized by the Newswomen’s Club of New York and the New York Press Club. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter.
Judith Brackley is an author and voice talent who worked in radio for twenty years as an announcer, program director, and producer for commercial broadcast outlets and NPR affiliates. She has numerous radio spots, industrial voice-overs, and narrations to her credit.
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