The Rulebreaker

The Life and Times of Barbara Walters

By: Susan Page

Narrated by: Susan Page

Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

A “smart, juicy, deeply reported” (Katie Couric) biography of the most successful female broadcaster of all time—Barbara Walters—a woman whose personal demons fueled an ambition that broke all the rules and finally gave women a permanent place on the air, written by bestselling author Susan Page.

Barbara Walters was a force from the time TV was exploding on the American scene in the 1960s to its waning dominance in a new world of competition from streaming services and social media half a century later. She was not just a groundbreaker for women (Oprah announced when she was seventeen that she wanted to be Barbara Walters), but also expanded the big TV interview and then dominated the genre. By the end of her career, she had interviewed more of the famous and infamous, from presidents to movie stars to criminals to despots, than any other journalist in history. Then at sixty-seven, past the age of many female broadcasters found themselves involuntarily retired, she pioneered a new form of talk TV called The View. She is on the short list of those who have left the biggest imprints on television news and on our culture, male or female. So, who was the woman behind the legacy?

In The Rulebreaker, Susan Page conducts 150 interviews and extensive archival research to discover that Walters was driven to keep herself and her family afloat after her mercurial and famous impresario father attempted suicide. But she never lost the fear of an impending catastrophe, which is what led her to ask for things no woman had ever asked for before, to ignore the rules of misogynistic culture, to outcompete her most ferocious competitors, and to protect her complicated marriages and love life from scrutiny.

Page breaks news on every front—from the daring things Walters did to become the woman who reinvented the TV interview to the secrets she kept until her heath. This is the “stunning” (Norah O’Donnell), “brilliantly written” (Andrea Mitchell) account of the woman who knew she had to break all the rules so she could break all the rules about what viewers deserved to know.

©2024 Susan Page (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

The constant challenges BW encountered and her determination to meet each challenge.

We don’t know what it has taken to become the “successful” person you see. This book goes wide and deep helping us to know Barbara Walters and what she did to achieve that success.

A complicated woman

Susan Page did a remarkable job uncovering what made Ms Walters tick. Also, nice job on the performance.

Moving and Informative

A fascinating account of what it took for Walter’s success and what she did not have in her long life. Another Susan Page success.

Her tenacity was never ending.

I found Susan Page voice to be dull and unfeeling. It was hard to get through the content because of it. But, Barbara’s life was fascinating and sad . She never seemed satisfied always wanting notes

An insight into an icon

What a fascinating book. I’m a 2-decade fan and viewer of The View and have always respected Barbara for creating that institution, but acknowledge that I didn’t fully appreciate all that she has contributed to our world. This biography is an epic piece showcasing a long and complicated life.

The one aspect of this book that I found challenging was the awkward time jumps. In one chapter, the author would be talking about a specific topic or milestone in Barbara’s life, talk about something that happened later and may be connected to the larger story, then the next chapter we’d be talking about a potentially different time period. Aside from that it was a great read.

Brilliant

This book is so well researched and captivating that I wish it didn’t end. Barbara Walters life is really a chronicle of the 20th century and she interviewed most every important person that made the 20th century what it was… Along the way shattering glass ceilings and redefining tv. . She was the first superstar journalist - she changed news and celebrity She was of her time and ahead of her time. This book tells the story brilliantly.

An outstanding woman with an outstanding life

A well written story about a woman who was truly a pioneer in her field. The path that she took in her life forced to give up certain personal things. But she had her bath to take and was amazing at it

Very well written and very interesting

I have been fascinated by BW for years and really enjoyed this biography of her. I appreciate that the author does not talk about only the good and dives into things like her relationship with Diane Sowyer other events that happened behind the scenes that the public may not know about.

Honest portrayal

Liked the honesty of all Barbara Walters was..and was not. Historically honest with background factors revealed in forthright manner.

Hidden from view

The story was well written, telling the extraordinary life of a TV personality. It was amazing to hear how she used the challenges in her life to propel herself forward. Courage and persistence gave her a life others could emulate. I never knew her background until now. Kudos to a Queen in television.