The Times

How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn, and the Transformation of Journalism

By: Adam Nagourney

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

A sweeping behind-the-scenes look at the last four turbulent decades of “the paper of record,” The New York Times, as it confronted world-changing events, internal scandals, and faced the existential threat of the internet

“An often enthralling chronicle [that] delivers the gossipy goods . . . Like Robert Caro’s biographies, [The Times] should appeal to anyone interested in power.”—Los Angeles Times

A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

For over a century, The New York Times has been an iconic institution in American journalism, one whose history is intertwined with the events that it chronicles—a newspaper read by millions of people every day to stay informed about events that have taken place across the globe.

In The Times, Adam Nagourney, who’s worked at The New York Times since 1996, examines four decades of the newspaper’s history, from the final years of Arthur “Punch” Sulzberger’s reign as publisher to the election of Donald Trump in November 2016. Nagourney recounts the paper’s triumphs—the coverage of September 11, the explosion of the U.S. Challenger, the scandal of a New York governor snared in a prostitution case—as well as failures that threatened the paper’s standing and reputation, including the discredited coverage of the war in Iraq, the resignation of Judith Miller, the plagiarism scandal of Jayson Blair, and the high-profile ouster of two of its executive editors.

Drawing on hundreds of interviews and thousands of documents and letters contained in the newspaper’s archives and the private papers of editors and reporters, The Times is an inside look at the essential years that shaped the newspaper. Nagourney paints a vivid picture of a divided newsroom, fraught with tension as it struggled to move into the digital age, while confronting its scandals, shortcomings, and swelling criticism from conservatives and many of its own readers alike. Along the way we meet the memorable personalities—including Abe Rosenthal, Max Frankel, Howell Raines, Joe Lelyveld, Bill Keller, Jill Abramson, Dean Baquet, Punch Sulzberger and Arthur Sulzberger Jr.—who shaped the paper as we know it today. We see the battles between the newsroom and the business operations side, the fight between old and new media, the tension between journalists who tried to hold on to the traditional model of a print newspaper and a new generation of reporters who are eager to embrace the new digital world.

Immersive, meticulously researched, and filled with powerful stories of the rise and fall of the men and women who ran the most important newspaper in the nation, The Times is a definitive account of the most pivotal years in New York Times history.

©2023 Adam Nagourney (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Robert Petkoff delivers a masterful performance of this detailed history of the NEW YORK TIMES from 1976 to 2016. His narration is smooth and nuanced; his tempo and cadence move these fascinating inside stories of the 'paper of record' forward.... THE TIMES remains vital. This audiobook explains why." (AudioFile)

“Something of a white-knuckle ride with—spoiler alert—a broadly happy ending . . . It is, if you like, a history of kings and queens.”—Alan Rusbridger, The New York Times

“An elegiac quality . . . Stuffed with Old Testament gossip.”—New York Magazine

“Adam Nagourney’s The Times, an often enthralling chronicle of four decades (1976-2016) of management upheaval and digital transformation, delivers the gossipy goods, thanks in part to interviews with nearly all the surviving principals. . . . Like Robert Caro’s biographies, [The Times] should appeal to anyone interested in power. . . . Nagourney’s volume, both candid and fair-minded, is a valuable addition to the canon, adding detail to already well-reported stories.”—The Los Angeles Times

Excellent, enormously insightful!

This is an excellent and detailed book…examining the ups and downs of a terrific institution.

Fantastic!

An amazing journey through the last forty years with “the paper of record. “ A very real and honest appraisal. Highly recommend.

Great recounting of how the NYT transformed itself into the digital age.

This book was so engrossing I cooked, drove and went to bed still listening. Extremely interesting hearing how a business struggled to understand the internet and its impact in the world. Explored how the generational divide in the newsroom would challenge and change the Executive Editors and the presentation of the paper. Great listening. Direct and clear writing. A+

Terrific story, well told.

Covers the years of my adult life. Absolutely fascinating to hear what was going on during 9/11 in the newsroom. Enlightening how the paper news has become the digital news. The resistance of Jill Abrams had to fusing business and news was extremely interesting. Of course, the book was written by a man. Well researched and full of details of THE TIMES.

Excellent

Interesting behind the scenes operation and personalities. Good writing and well organized. Clarity. Great narration.

You will not read the Times in the same way after reading this book.

Adam takes you in the back story and history of the Times from the late 20th century up to the election of Donald Trump.

Understanding of how the Times transitioned and the challenges of an “editor’s paper” to the instantaneous world of news today gave me a keener understanding of media and the challenges of reporting and understanding current events. I read the Times differently after reading Adams book.

If there’s a con—perhaps more detail about some of the inner workings of the Times for those. Or in the field of journalism.

About personalities

A good book if you are interested in the conflicting personalities who in a stop-and-start fashion moved the Times from print to digital. However, I find the book lacks the surrounding context needed to make the book great.