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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'Mike Willesee has been Australia's most revered television journalist for over fifty years. And behind the lens, a businessman, powerbroker, trailblazer and enduring enigma.
'Son of a minister in the Whitlam cabinet, Willesee was a football star before finding fame as a crusading journalist, and Vietnam War correspondent, for This Day Tonight and Four Corners. Later, as creator of A Current Affair, his interviews became news in themselves, attracting blockbuster ratings, wielding huge political power and transforming him into an icon.
'In life, Willesee was a husband and father of six. He made a fortune in radio and television then lost it saving the Sydney Swans and battling his demons.
'After a live on-air interview with gunmen secured the release of two children being held hostage, Willesee left ACA. He made acclaimed documentaries on subjects as diverse as stigmata and ancient tribes. He survived a plane crash, found God and fought cancer. But he never stopped seeking truth.
'Memoirs is that truth - the extraordinary story of Mike Willesee's epic life. ' (Publication Summary)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Large print.
- Dyslexic edition.
Works about this Work
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Lady Luck
2018
single work
essay
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , January–February no. 398 2018; (p. 20-21)'Mike Willesee has been one of the giants of the Australian media for over half a century. He was a major force in television for most of those years; but he began his life in print journalism and made a small fortune as the joint owner of 2Day FM when it was sold to the Lamb family. The memoir of such an important figure is always much anticipated, and its publication has been greeted with much fanfare, coinciding with a two-part episode on Australian Story, which is always notoriously shy of looking as though it is in any way promoting a commercial enterprise.' (Introduction)
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Their Big Stories Are Ours as Well
2017
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 18 November 2017; (p. 26)'From the first day on the job, it is drummed into the heads of young journalists that the most important part of a story is the first paragraph. It should arrest the reader’s attention, grip the imagination and excite interest to read on.' (Introduction)
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Their Big Stories Are Ours as Well
2017
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 18 November 2017; (p. 26)'From the first day on the job, it is drummed into the heads of young journalists that the most important part of a story is the first paragraph. It should arrest the reader’s attention, grip the imagination and excite interest to read on.' (Introduction)
-
Lady Luck
2018
single work
essay
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , January–February no. 398 2018; (p. 20-21)'Mike Willesee has been one of the giants of the Australian media for over half a century. He was a major force in television for most of those years; but he began his life in print journalism and made a small fortune as the joint owner of 2Day FM when it was sold to the Lamb family. The memoir of such an important figure is always much anticipated, and its publication has been greeted with much fanfare, coinciding with a two-part episode on Australian Story, which is always notoriously shy of looking as though it is in any way promoting a commercial enterprise.' (Introduction)
