What if the Los Angeles Times had not tailored its coverage to promote Richard Nixon? Would Red-baiter Joseph McCarthy have been exposed without the work of Ed Murrow of CBS? And what if the Washington Post had not pursued the truth behind the Watergate break-in?

In The Powers That Be, David Halberstam weaves stories of intrigue about the rise of media giants in the mid-20th century to become powerful forces, not just vehicles that transported the news. History and journalism buffs will eagerly turn the story’s pages, and there are plenty of them. But it went fast for me. It was published in 1979 and I am embarrassed to admit I had not read it until recently, even though I was a newspaper journalist for many years.

Halberstam, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1964 for his Vietnam War coverage, focuses on personalities and companies while describing revelations that will make your jaw drop. The Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, and CBS News are his focus.

Halberstam, who as a New York Times reporter raised the ire of John F. Kennedy, was a prolific author. Other works include The Fifties and The Best and the Brightest, two I highly recommend. If you are a baseball fan, you will love The Teammates: A Portrait of a Friendship, about several members of the Boston Red Sox.

Halberstam’s life ended in 2007 at age 73 when a college student driving him to an interview turned into oncoming traffic. If only Halberstam had had the chance to write about the rise and influence of the internet, social media, cable TV, and the 24/7 news cycle. The Powers That Be 2 would be the talk of the nation.