Write It When I'm Gone

October 29, 2007
Longtime Newsweek correspondent DeFrank was an untested reporter when he was placed on what seemed like a hard-luck beat: covering Vice President Gerald Ford. After all, what could be less thrilling than reporting on the doings of the congressman from Michigan who had been appointed to replace Spiro Agnew as Richard Nixon's veep? DeFrank was given an unprecedented scoop early in his job, when Ford let spill that he believed Nixon's presidency was doomed, but the reporter agreed to put a lid on it: "Write it when I'm gone," Ford told him. Brick reads dramatically, with fitful stops and starts, giving the patina of history to some of the less fondly remembered elements of 1970s politics. His reading conveys some of DeFrank's sincere fondness for Ford and the friendly relationship they struck up while Ford was vice president and in the White House. Simultaneous release with the Putnam hardcover.

Early in his career, Tom DeFrank began decades of on- and off-the-record chats with the man who would become the 38th president. Through an endearing narration by Scott Brick, listeners feel as if they're in the room as Ford speaks candidly to the longtime Washington reporter. Ford opens up about fellow politicians, his post-presidential schedule, his love of his home state of Michigan, and more. The book covers personalities more than policies and is not to be considered a biography, but it touches on many interesting aspects of Ford's life. Brick changes his voice ever so slightly when expressing Ford's words and DeFrank's empathy. In listening, one develops a good sense of their relationship while learning much about the former president. M.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine