PREFERRED LIES AND OTHER TALES: Skimming the Cream of a Life in Sports

A world-class raconteur, Whitaker writes affectionately of the early days of sports television, but he's no mere booster. If American television and sports seemed to grow up hand in hand, Whitaker won't hold his tongue on ways in which they have not matured well together. Nor is he about to make any effort to control his affection for golf and horse racing, the two sports that have particularly captured his heart, and why should he? His writing on these pursuits is superb. And while his chapter on the favorite courses he's played should turn golfers green with envy, it doesn't; his reportage is too generous for that.

Whitaker's been a privileged observer--and sharer. In his years at CBS and ABC, he has traveled the world, covered the mighty, been thrilled by victory, and agonized over defeat. His memoirs, to be sure, are a fan's notes, but they are laced with perspective and conclude with advice: "Sports cannot end wars, erase racism, or end poverty, but properly guided they can be a more positive force in these areas than they are now. To help with that guidance seems a worthwhile challenge for a new generation of sportscasters and sportswriters. All they must remember is that it's an adventure, not brain surgery for children." Among today's self-enthralled talking heads, that's become harder than it seems. --Jeff Silverman

This book is full of a broadcasting career rich in its breadth and depth of sport at the highest level.

Among my favorite Whittaker sampling are: Japanese guest asking for directions from pro George Fazio to the first tee and his response: If he can find Pearl Harbor, he can find the first tee The time in Stuttgart when the rent-a-car place gave him a new Porsche he had trouble shifting the gears, the citizens screaming and whistling in protest of his violation of such a vehicle and his writing: "In total disgrace, I managed somehow to get up the hill and, at long last, gratefully onto the Autobahn before the citizens laid hands upon me." The story of Bob Rossburg and the man telling him that he kicked Tony Lema's ball inbounce, and Rosburg's reaction.

It's all here: horse racing, auto racing, tennis, golf, track and field (great stories behind the Iron Curtain), boxing, etc.

This is a true joy to read from one of the greatest and most articulate, passionate commentators of the game. Truly enjoyable read, which I'm sure I'll do again. You should as well.


Whitaker writes who he is.   February 6, 1999
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Jack Whitaker spins stories not only about exotic people and places; he also reveals a great deal about himself. His content and style clearly communicate a man who deeply appreciates the important things in life, a perspective that allows him to keep his long professional career, with its legion chance-of-a lifetime experiences, in perspective. Whitaker's book is a testimony to gratitude, not ego. "Preferred Lies and Other Tales" is, ultimately, stories less about sports, and more about life. In a culture flooded with hype, Jack Whitaker is a voice of hope.