Book review: 'The Place to Be: Washington, CBS and the Glory Days of Television News'

Title: "The Place to Be: Washington, CBS and the Glory Days of Television News"

Author: Roger Mudd

Publisher: Public Affairs

Pages: 415

Price: $27.95

In a nutshell: Roger Mudd, now 80 years old, had one of the most successful and respected careers in all of television news. Now retired, he has written a phenomenal combination memoir and analysis of his professional life and the unique contribution made by the CBS Washington Bureau for a period of two decades. He writes beautifully, is self-deprecating while praising his many colleagues and provides some very funny anecdotes about the news business.

Mudd, who was heir apparent to Walter Cronkite as CBS News anchor, was passed over in favor of Dan Rather, but he is not bitter. In fact, he is happy that his career was so diverse in the years to follow, including productive years at NBC, PBS and the History Channel. He also taught at Princeton and Washington and Lee Universities. News hounds will love this book.