Los Angeles Book Festival Runner Up
London Book Festival Honorable Mention
Step into a heartwarming, unexpected, funny, and nostalgic walk through a world of journalism gone: the iconic “CBS News Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt.” With behind-the-scenes takes of famous figures and “regular folks” whom Kuralt celebrated, Once Upon a Time on Sunday Morning celebrates the customs, culture, and the extraordinary people of America. Bud Lamoreaux, eyewitness to it all, takes us to a time when “flyover country” and “the Coastal Elite” still liked and respected each other as one nation, indivisible.
“Once Upon A Time On Sunday Morning has a magical feel to it. It will be a gift to millions of Sunday Morning fans and should be required reading for any student of broadcast journalism.” — Jeff Fager, former Chairman of CBS News and Executive Producer of 60 minutes
“Bud Lamoreaux was behind the scenes for every minute of Charles Kuralt’s “CBS News Sunday Morning.” Once Upon a Time on Sunday Morning captures an era of broadcast journalism in its golden era. His charming, insightful, and funny memoir brings us back to a time when television was at its best.” — Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University, Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities, and author of Cronkite
“Sunday Morning was the best show on T.V. when Kuralt was the best anchor and America was the best country. What that was like and what it means now is the soul of Bud’s heartwarming, hilarious, thoughtful, and dishy ramble. I loved it and I was there.” Robert Lipsyte – New York Times Pulitzer finalist
“Kuralt & Co. set the standard for broadcast journalism with a heart, reflecting a different time of American optimism and neighborliness. Bud Lamoreaux’s Once Upon a Time on Sunday Morning is a joyful review of the show’s interest in news, the arts, sports, and the extraordinary lives of ‘ordinary’ Americans.” — Margaret Sullivan, Media Columnist, The Washington Post
Reviewed by Constance Stadler for Readers’ Favorite –
Once Upon a Time on Sunday Morning: When Charles Kuralt Gave Us the Real World is a memoir that describes the conception and development of the program Sunday Morning. As a producer, author E.S. “Bud” Lamoreaux III was one of a trio who selected topics that often broke telecast taboos in the late 1970s. Anchor Charles Kuralt was the glue that held Sunday Morning together. His unprepossessing appearance, in tandem with brilliance as a wordsmith, provided what the author describes as ‘instant credibility.’ In addition to his trustworthy presence, he was a highly experienced journalist with years spent covering an international beat in tandem with professional exposure to legendary giants like Ed Murrow and Walter Cronkite. The book also details the value of a decade spent with Heywood Hale Broun, a brilliant so-called irreverent sports journalist who understood that sports were a microcosm for values forged in the surrounding world.
No rose-colored glasses shape this narrative. The style reflects the expertise of a top-notch journalist; highly informative and consistently compelling. As one of the program’s creators, author E.S. Lamoreaux III devotes substantial attention to dealing with hurdles such as budget slashing by network executives and ongoing resistance from evening news broadcasters and executives. The program distinguished itself from the outset in providing in-depth interviews with luminaries, cultural critiques by mavens, substantive human interest stories, and news coverage from a perspective well beyond dire sound-bites. From the onset, prestigious reviewers recognized the value of its focus and authenticity. As Charles Kuralt summed up his approach to the ‘On The Road’ feature: “We find about half of our stories just rolling down the road, looking out the window, and talking to people.” Once Upon a Time on Sunday Morning offers readers insight into the best of televised programming along with promoting consideration of the nature of real news.