Front Row Seat: A Veteran Reporter Relives the Four Decades That Reshaped America
by Murphy Martin
Category: Broadcast journalism

From the turbulent and progressive sixties to the prosperous and scandalous nineties, former ABC-TV anchorman and news correspondent Murphy Martin has had, as the title reveals, a Front Row Seat to history.Martin ascended from humble beginnings in East Texas to an anchor desk in New York City, and has since walked with giants while covering many of the stirring news events of the past four decades and playing an active role in others. Now he invites readers to share his front row seat and take a look at history and the powerful effect of television. Through his eyes we revisit the Kennedy assassination and trial of Jack Ruby; the civil rights movement and nationwide racial strife; the Vietnam War and the plight of POW-MIAs; the maverick presidential campaign of Ross Perot, in which Murphy took a leading role; and compelling personalities he's met along the way.Forty years after the JFK assassination, Martin reflects upon the tragedy with pointed new perspectives. Numerous interviews with those closest to the scene, including former prosecutor Bill Alexander, Marina Oswald, Robert Oswald, Jim Garrison, District Attorney Henry Wade, Sheriff Bill Decker, and Judge Joe Brown, help to separate fact from fiction.From the assassination and its aftermath, Martin moved swiftly to cover the fiery civil rights movement. From personal observation and interviews he offers insight into Dr. Martin Luther King's ability to stir a crowd to near frenzy but leave them calmly inspired rather than violent, and he examines King's savvy use of television to spread his message.Murphy Martin's career has connected him with countless personalities and legends, and in this book he presents gripping discussionswith presidents and other political leaders, actors, news colleagues, and sports figures, including a particularly poignant look at his friend Mickey Mantle. Perhaps the most fascinating vignette is of the self-made billionaire turned maverick politician, H. Ross Perot. After Perot gave his first in-depth interview to Martin, their relationship expanded when Murphy brought the condition of American POWs and MIAs in Vietnam to Perot's attention. The result was Perot's establishment of United We Stand, dedicated to the plight of the POW-MIAs. Martin became president of that organization and led a group of POW-MIA wives to Paris for an audience with the North Vietnamese delegation. In 1992, Perot called in Martin to clean up damage to his presidential campaign, and now Martin recounts previously untold behind-the-scenes stories of that unique third-party campaign.His is not just the absorbing account of a newsman's career; it is the story of America and the world in the last half of the twentieth century, truly seen from the front row.