Patrick O’Donnell’s journey began in high school, when he caught the photojournalism bug from a master teacher. By college, he was taking pictures for his student newspaper, then working full-time for local papers while still in school. Early assignments included Richard Nixon’s failed California governor bid and Eisenhower’s 1964 Rose Bowl appearance.
So began O’Donnell’s front-row view of history. His warm, personal stories take you behind the lens and scenes of inside access chatting confidentially with George H.W. Bush at an event and capturing images of Nixon’s resignation day at El Toro marine base.
Much more than presidents alone, this memoir follows O’Donnell through adventures covering sports, local events, fairs and entertainers like Kevin Costner and Tony Bennett. We ride along to meet everyone from Dr. “Bee Man” Norm Gary to Groucho Marx feeding grapes to Alice Cooper. The Dalai Lama, Margaret Thatcher and Jerry Brown sprinkle the narrative too.
Part journalism passion project, part who’s who of 55+ years behind closed doors, this richly illustrated book memorializes an era when newspapers still ruled – before cell phones and digital film crowded out the dark room. Personal, humorous stories make this insider’s chronicle a must-read photo memoir for any news junkie and photography buff.
