Autobiography

Off the Record

Off the Record

  • Downloads：6079
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-05-05 10:51:44
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Peter Mansbridge
  • ISBN：1982154144
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

Peter Mansbridge invites us to walk the beat with him in this entertaining and revealing look into his life and career， from his early broadcasting days in the remote northern Manitoba community of Churchill to the fast-paced news desk of CBC’s flagship show， The National， where he reported on stories from around the world。

Today， Peter Mansbridge is often recognized for his distinctive deep voice， which calmly delivered the news for over fifty years。 But ironically， he never considered becoming a broadcaster。 In some ways， though， Peter was prepared for a life as a newscaster from an early age。 Every night around the dinner table， his family would debate the news of the day， from Cold War scandals and Vietnam to Elvis Presley and the Beatles。

So in 1968， when by chance a CBC radio manager in Churchill， Manitoba， offered him a spot hosting the local late night music program， Peter embraced the opportunity。 Without a teacher， he tuned into broadcasts from across Canada， the US， and the UK to learn the basic skills of a journalist and he eventually parlayed his position into his first news job。 Less than twenty years later， he became the chief correspondent and anchor of The National。

With humour and heart， Peter shares never-before-told stories from his distinguished career， including reporting on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the horror of 9/11， walking the beaches of Normandy with Tom Brokaw， and talking with Canadian prime ministers from John Diefenbaker to Justin Trudeau。 But it’s far from all serious。 Peter also writes about finding the “cure” for baldness in China and landing the role of Peter Moosebridge in Disney’s Zootopia。 From the first （and only） time he was late to broadcast to his poignant interview with the late Gord Downie， these are the moments that have stuck with him。

After years of interviewing others， Peter turns the lens on himself and takes us behind the scenes of his life on the frontlines of journalism as he reflects on the toll of being in the spotlight， the importance of diversity in the newsroom， the role of the media then and now， and the responsibilities we all bear as citizens in an increasingly global world。

Download

Reviews

Alex ，

the man is a national treasure。 A few of these stories had me in chills， or close to tears。

Carolyn Gleeson ，

An interesting book with lots or stories about his early career and interviews with public figures。

Holly ，

Absolutely loved this book！ I was very fortunate that I got the audiobook at the same time。 It felt like I was listening to an episode of The National， only the episode is a 9 hour long recanting of Mansbridge's life so far。 More than a decade ago as I was rolling into adulthood I found myself becoming more patriotic。 I started watching more hockey， supporting the CFL （while booing the idea of an NFL team in Toronto）， watching and supporting Canadian artists， TV shows， etc。 That was when I start Absolutely loved this book！ I was very fortunate that I got the audiobook at the same time。 It felt like I was listening to an episode of The National， only the episode is a 9 hour long recanting of Mansbridge's life so far。 More than a decade ago as I was rolling into adulthood I found myself becoming more patriotic。 I started watching more hockey， supporting the CFL （while booing the idea of an NFL team in Toronto）， watching and supporting Canadian artists， TV shows， etc。 That was when I started watching The National and One on One。 No one really embodied Canada quite like Peter Mansbridge。 Professional， knowledgeable， kind， humorous and humble。 By the time I started watching him， he'd become a voice Canadians could trust。 His book demonstrates why。 Throughout， he is never too big to give thanks and praise to those who've helped along way - sometimes too much。 Each chapter feels personal， because it is。 The reader is never spoken down to or made to feel out of the loop。 You can easily place yourself there， on the golf course with Gord Downie， on the streets of Sri Lanka after the tsunami， artifact digging in the arctic， fanboying over Walter Cronkite， the airport in Churchill， all the airports。 All of them。 That's why Peter is Canada。 Because he's just one of us - albeit a very lucky one us。 。。。more

Matt ，

A fan of all things Canadian， I was excited to get my hands on this book by Canadian news icon， Peter Mansbridge。 A collection of vignettes about the man’s storied career， from airport employee in Churchill， Manitoba to anchor of The National， Canada’s premier nightly newscast， Mansbridge tells of his various adventures in a way many Canadians have come to love。 Showing how adored he was， no matter who crossed his path， Mansbridge brings something to the table to entertain and educate in equal m A fan of all things Canadian， I was excited to get my hands on this book by Canadian news icon， Peter Mansbridge。 A collection of vignettes about the man’s storied career， from airport employee in Churchill， Manitoba to anchor of The National， Canada’s premier nightly newscast， Mansbridge tells of his various adventures in a way many Canadians have come to love。 Showing how adored he was， no matter who crossed his path， Mansbridge brings something to the table to entertain and educate in equal measure while regaling the reader with factoids they had no idea existed。Born in England， Mansbridge and his family moved around for a number of years while his father had posts in the British Civil Service。 When they eventually made it to Canada， the Mansbridges were never a wealthy family， but filled their house with love and admiration of one another and anyone who crossed their paths。 Peter speaks of his love for family and inquisitive side， which earned him a number of accolades by those who knew him in his formative years。 His life led him along a number of interesting paths， none of which as exciting as when he was ‘discovered’ while announcing a flight in the tiny airport of Churchill， Manitoba， where someone from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation （CBC） heard his deep baritone and offered him a radio job on the spot。Mansbridge tells of his emerging in the world of media and reporting soon thereafter， climbing the ranks of the CBC as he made a name for himself。 His love of people shone through and he was soon interviewing people of some importance all over the country。 He continued to impress and was soon given key postings in television， making the Mansbridge name one that senior members of CBC could not deny。Through a series of short entries， Mansbridge tells how he was given a great path to success and eventually handed the anchor seat of the CBC’s flagship news program， The National， the nightly summary of the day’s events。 Mansbridge would serve as the chief correspondent for the CBC for years， making an impact on the viewer， as the likes of Cronkite， Jennings， and even Tom Broken had in the era when news was still a valued commodity， well before the 24 hour news cycle。 These years would help make him into the respective journalist he was up until his retirement。Mansbridge mixes work with pleasure throughout the piece， showing that he is more than a man behind the desk reading the news。 His passion for family and those he loved made all the difference to him。 Those stories that he shares about personal events touch the reader as much as reporting on major historical， political， and military goings-on in the world。 It is， perhaps， this personal side that makes all the difference in the book’s delivery and helps the reader connect well with Mansbridge。 While he was loved by many and respected by even more， it was his ‘real’ side that made him all the more affable。While I knew some of the stories that Mansbridge offered up in the book， there were so many that were new to me。 This ‘behind the curtain’ look at his life made the read all the more enjoyable and left me hungering for even more。 I cannot say that I walked away with as many juicy tidbits in another book over the last while and yet I feel as though I want to know more。 Those looking for salacious admissions can look elsewhere， but Mansbridge delivers with a hint of dignity and a great deal of grace， peppering his narrative with just enough humour to keep the reader smiling。 I am not sure what to say， other than to recommend that those who know of Peter Mansbridge and The National will likely want to get their hands on this book to learn more about the man and the many stories he has to share。 If I were a betting man， I would venture to say that there are MANY more stories that could fill numerous other volumes， given the time and energy。 Kudos， Mr。 Mansbridge， for this brilliant piece。 I grew up watching you on television and admire you even more now！Love/hate the review？ An ever-growing collection of others appears at: http://pecheyponderings。wordpress。com/ 。。。more

Lindasp ，

Peter Mansbridge has become a Canadian icon in broadcasting over the past many years！ This audiobook read by him is like a time-travel back over the past decades as he describes his participation in Canadian and world events。 Even his voice brings back very fond memories of listening to the evening news on the radio and TV。 I laughed at some of his stories and cried at others。 What a wonderful book and what a great Canadian 'historian'！ Peter Mansbridge has become a Canadian icon in broadcasting over the past many years！ This audiobook read by him is like a time-travel back over the past decades as he describes his participation in Canadian and world events。 Even his voice brings back very fond memories of listening to the evening news on the radio and TV。 I laughed at some of his stories and cried at others。 What a wonderful book and what a great Canadian 'historian'！ 。。。more

Carole ，

Off the Record is an audiobook read by the author， Peter Mansbridge， a Canadian news anchor whose time with the national broadcasting corporation spans almost fifty years。 Mansbridge indicates at the beginning of the autobiography that he had written this book in order for his grandchildren to know about his life and Off the Record reads as a series of chapters that informs the reader about his life in a way that the reader can portray him talking to his grandchildren。 The stories are told with Off the Record is an audiobook read by the author， Peter Mansbridge， a Canadian news anchor whose time with the national broadcasting corporation spans almost fifty years。 Mansbridge indicates at the beginning of the autobiography that he had written this book in order for his grandchildren to know about his life and Off the Record reads as a series of chapters that informs the reader about his life in a way that the reader can portray him talking to his grandchildren。 The stories are told with humility and knowledge about his subjects。 Work wise， he started from humble beginnings and steadily rose in the news industry until he reached the pinnacle of journalism。 He interviewed numerous prime ministers and travelled the world to report back to Canadians about the countries he found himself in and also about our own country。 I thoroughly enjoyed this autobiography and would recommend it highly。 。。。more

Mary ，

Interesting and entertaining vignettes about his professional career。

Betty Welch ，

I enjoyed this book， which began with an explanation of how Peter Mansbridge got his start in media。 The short chapters consist of interesting anecdotes， behind-the-scenes stories that occurred while Mansbridge was at work， bringing the news to us。

Alexander ，

When I think back to growing up， I remember a few news stories gripping the nation and capturing my own immediate attention， despite my young age。 Immediately， 9/11 comes to mind， but there are others such as stories from Afghanistan （considering my father deployed there） as well as the election of Barack Obama。 Although these events vary in nature and importance over the course of history， what they do have in common is that I can vividly remember them being narrated from the same point of view When I think back to growing up， I remember a few news stories gripping the nation and capturing my own immediate attention， despite my young age。 Immediately， 9/11 comes to mind， but there are others such as stories from Afghanistan （considering my father deployed there） as well as the election of Barack Obama。 Although these events vary in nature and importance over the course of history， what they do have in common is that I can vividly remember them being narrated from the same point of view - usually through the voice and commentary of Peter Mansbridge。 As a newscaster for more than five decades， starting in CBC North Radio then eventually taking the helm of The National， Mansbridge is one of the most recognizable anchors of our times。 Consequently， I was very happy to grab a copy of his most recent book， Off The Record， published only last year。 In this collection of stories spanning five decades of Canadian journalism， Peter Mansbridge offers insight into some of Canadian history’s significant moments， including why they occurred and how they were journalistically captured。 From a relatively objective point of view， Mansbridge is able to provide the narrative of these events， truly depicting a human dimension of the stories from varying topics of politics， economics， world events， and human interest。 Ranging from interviews with Prime Ministers， foreign dignitaries， or even covering the Commonwealth’s royal family， Mansbridge was the “voice of a nation” from the news-production point of view for many over quite a long period。 Accordingly， insight here is provided into these moments， as well as a look at his own upbringing， which I think was instrumental in his ability to provide such objectivity over the course of his career。Overall， in Off The Record， Mansbridge offers us another experience with him across a storyline， something I hadn’t realized I’d been craving since his departure from The National （podcast aside）。 I found it best that he recognized that “as a journalist， you can only hope that during your time in the business， you get the opportunity to tell a story from the very place and in the very moment when the world is changing。” In a sense， this quote hit me hard as I sit in Eurasia on OUTCAN myself， working along as part of NATO’s response to Russian aggression in Ukraine。 It makes me wonder where the world will be in just a few short years， and I realize that things likely can’t ever go back to being the same again - nor should they。 Accordingly， I wonder if Peter Mansbridge had instances of thinking the same thoughts as he covered events such events like the Fall of the Wall or 9/11。 I would believe so， and I really think that those thoughts are somewhat captured here。 Happy Reading！ 。。。more

Jayson Campeau ，

This memoir is everything it should be。 It gives a great contextualization of some of the recent important moments in Canadian history。 Peter comes across as if he is just chatting to you （ like he did on the tv for so many years）。 He has "it" and he has shared it with us well。 Thanks for all the years of great journalism and reporting。 This memoir is everything it should be。 It gives a great contextualization of some of the recent important moments in Canadian history。 Peter comes across as if he is just chatting to you （ like he did on the tv for so many years）。 He has "it" and he has shared it with us well。 Thanks for all the years of great journalism and reporting。 。。。more

Gordon Jones ，

I don't think there was a story or recollection in this book which I didn't find interesting， entertaining， sad or thoughtful。 Off the Record not only shows the reader a behind the scenes look at being a reporter and newscaster， but also gives an excellent view of Canada's place in the world。An excellent read which I highly recommend。 5/5 stars for sure。 I don't think there was a story or recollection in this book which I didn't find interesting， entertaining， sad or thoughtful。 Off the Record not only shows the reader a behind the scenes look at being a reporter and newscaster， but also gives an excellent view of Canada's place in the world。An excellent read which I highly recommend。 5/5 stars for sure。 。。。more

Andrew ，

Pretty good。 :）This is an insightful read into the career of Peter Mansbridge。 It’s great that he narrates the audiobook。Happy reading， everybody！

Susan Gerrior ，

Exactly what I expected- anecdotes from his career。 I really enjoyed this as I teach Social Studies。 Lots of humor and photos。

Aaronlisa ，

I really enjoyed this book。It’s always refreshing to read a celebrity memoir that is positive and doesn’t spill dirt。 It’s easy to see why Peter Mansbridge became a trusted and well-liked journalist。

Alyson Fair ，

As a journalist， Peter has told stories that leap from the page and that one can visualize。 It is a good， easy read for anyone who watched him anchor The National。Full disclosure…I worked for the competition and still enjoyed it 😉

Wendy ，

A lovely stroll through a long and successful career。 An easy read， no huge revelations。

Des Tolley ，

Audio book

Carol Stevenson ，

This book was a walk down memory lane for me。 I certainly remember many if not all the stories Peter Mansbridge tells in his book Off the Record。 It is a very readable book in that each little chapter is an event。 He of course is at the event， part of the event， reporting on the event but the focus is not totally on him， but rather on the event or individual and the impact on the world。 I have to say I did enjoy reading this book。

Amanda ，

I am not a person who likes autobiographies， but when I saw this one I knew I had to read it。 I knew Peter had covered alot in this time with CBC， but reading this on the backgrounds of events I remember （9/11， Ottawa shooting， Boston Marathon Bombing） and what he was feeling during those times。I always wondered how he got into reporting and with they little background of how he came to chance it gave me a chuckle。Peter always had one of those calm kind voices reporting and I could hear it when I am not a person who likes autobiographies， but when I saw this one I knew I had to read it。 I knew Peter had covered alot in this time with CBC， but reading this on the backgrounds of events I remember （9/11， Ottawa shooting， Boston Marathon Bombing） and what he was feeling during those times。I always wondered how he got into reporting and with they little background of how he came to chance it gave me a chuckle。Peter always had one of those calm kind voices reporting and I could hear it when reading this book。 My mum has now taken it to read， I will be taking it back from her to read again and add back to my book shelf。 。。。more

Yves Sirois ，

Très intéressant， un livre qui nous permet de suivre la carrière et de connaître les moments importants de Peter Mansbridge。

Kathy Stinson ，

Not as revealing about Peter or the stories he covered that the title suggested might be the case。 Mildly interesting but I was acutely conscious that I was hearing anecdotes from the life of an incredibly privileged white male operating in very male circles。 Few women were mentioned and his statement about one who is an agent but not his I found cringe-worthy。 Maybe it was having just listened to Jody Wilson-Raybould’s Indian In the Cabinet and her treatment as an Indigenous woman that made me Not as revealing about Peter or the stories he covered that the title suggested might be the case。 Mildly interesting but I was acutely conscious that I was hearing anecdotes from the life of an incredibly privileged white male operating in very male circles。 Few women were mentioned and his statement about one who is an agent but not his I found cringe-worthy。 Maybe it was having just listened to Jody Wilson-Raybould’s Indian In the Cabinet and her treatment as an Indigenous woman that made me so conscious of these things， but if you’re looking for insightful Canadian non-fiction， Jody’s book is the more worthwhile choice。 。。。more

Nancy Belliveau ，

Loved this。 I could listen to it again tomorrow and love it again。

Heather ，

If you're a fan of Peter Mansbridge you'll love this book！ You'll probably love it if you aren't a fan also。 I enjoyed this book so much。 It was like I could hear him telling me the stories。 A must read！ If you're a fan of Peter Mansbridge you'll love this book！ You'll probably love it if you aren't a fan also。 I enjoyed this book so much。 It was like I could hear him telling me the stories。 A must read！ 。。。more

Amy ，

A thoughtful and interesting biography from the guy that had “it” and was the trusted voice of Canadian news。 Ebook

Wendy ，

Mr。 Mansbridge， total mic drop on this book。 I have been a die hard CBC supporter ，and watch The national every singe day since I can remember。 This book was an amazing read， I couldn't stop reading it， a few hard reads， one was the little girl who said "can ada good" but what brought me to tears was the Gord Downie" story。 I grew up watching you and it was nice to learn more about the man ，not just news journalist。 I became so interested in news and political news because of you。 So I thank you Mr。 Mansbridge， total mic drop on this book。 I have been a die hard CBC supporter ，and watch The national every singe day since I can remember。 This book was an amazing read， I couldn't stop reading it， a few hard reads， one was the little girl who said "can ada good" but what brought me to tears was the Gord Downie" story。 I grew up watching you and it was nice to learn more about the man ，not just news journalist。 I became so interested in news and political news because of you。 So I thank you 。For anyone who has not read this book， I would highly recommend one of the best books I have read。 And I read a lot。👋👋👋 。。。more

JW ，

A pleasant journey through Mr。 Mansbridge's most memorable personal stories。 A pleasant journey through Mr。 Mansbridge's most memorable personal stories。 。。。more

CyGrrl ，

Very readable stories of human interest behind the headlines。 Written as vignettes from an intriguing life that saw this Canadian news anchor travel the world and had his own personal interactions with the most famous people of the day during their moment in history。 Mostly light and inspiring anecdotes。 Suitable for male and female fans of news & current affairs， history， politics and journalism。

Amanda Lefley ，

This was a really interesting autobiography。 Told through the lens of Peter’s career （mainly）， Off the Record is a collection of behind the scenes anecdotes that coincide with some major news/historical events in Canada and around the world; and， significant moments/interviews from Peter’s perspective。 I really enjoyed this book！

Jrwest ，

This was a very good book that every Canadian who grew up while Peter was the host of CBC National should read。 It is his autobiography telling his story of how he went from a luggage handler in Churchill Manitoba to being the head anchorman for the CBC National news。 As both a reporter and anchorman for the National， he had the privilege of living and reporting on some of the most important historic events and people of the last 40 years。 It was very interesting to relive these historic events。 This was a very good book that every Canadian who grew up while Peter was the host of CBC National should read。 It is his autobiography telling his story of how he went from a luggage handler in Churchill Manitoba to being the head anchorman for the CBC National news。 As both a reporter and anchorman for the National， he had the privilege of living and reporting on some of the most important historic events and people of the last 40 years。 It was very interesting to relive these historic events。 I think he could have made the book move interesting by providing his opinion on the people and the major events of our times。 At one point in the book he does discuss how he prided himself as being an anchorman who tried to report the news in an unbiased fashion so obviously he isn't going to change this approach for his book。 The only strong opinion that he does express in the book is that Canada has treated our indigenous people very poorly which is something that the whole country is having to come to grips with。 I would be very interested to know what he feels that we as a country and we as Canadians can do to rectify this situation。 I listened to this book as a podcast read by Peter and really enjoyed listening to him tell his story。 。。。more

Justin Lahey ，

There is no doubt that Peter Mansbridge is a Canadian icon， a long-trusted voice and face， that has seen us through so many life-defining times and memories。 With “Off the Record”， Mansbridge turns the camera onto himself and tells his own life story， both before and during his time in the national spotlight。 Packed with incredible tales of Canadiana， as well as amazing stories of global interest， this memoir is not only a must for Canadians， but will also thoroughly entertain fans of politics， There is no doubt that Peter Mansbridge is a Canadian icon， a long-trusted voice and face， that has seen us through so many life-defining times and memories。 With “Off the Record”， Mansbridge turns the camera onto himself and tells his own life story， both before and during his time in the national spotlight。 Packed with incredible tales of Canadiana， as well as amazing stories of global interest， this memoir is not only a must for Canadians， but will also thoroughly entertain fans of politics， history， and world affairs。 It should come as no surprise that Off the Record oozes with class。 After all， Mansbridge has always appeared to be a thoughtful， very well spoken， meticulously prepared news anchor。 It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that his very presence on air instilled a sense of trust and assurance in what he said。 As I listened to this audiobook， I was quickly reminded of the sheer amount of major historical events that Mansbridge attended and covered over his stellar career。 What makes Off the Record such a gem to read is the depth and attention that clearly went into the selection of these stories and how to tell them， making them even more unforgettable moments in time。 It reminds us that there are always stories behind the stories， additional insights behind the headlines。 And with Off the Record， Mansbridge spoils us with a seemingly never-ending number of extra tidbits related to each main story。 As if that wasn’t enough， there’s a lot of classy humour in this book， both self-deprecating and aimed at key public figures。 And most chapters end with a very thoughtful postscript， adding even more humanity to this already very classy book。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Off the Record

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Off the Record&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Off the Record&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0