When Giants Ruled takes the reader behind the scenes of a century of newspaper life. It relates how Benjamin Day, a job printer desperate for more money, started The Sun and inadvertently established the first successful daily for the masses. His main rival was James Gordon Bennett the Elder, whose innovations and success culminated in the most unusual war in journalism: an attempt by rival publishers to halt his efforts to revolutionize the press and to exterminate his Herald.During the Civil War, with only Lincoln excluded, no person had greater sway upon the nation's thinking than Horace Greeley. Venom spewed between Bennett and Greeley reached unprecedented heights until Charles Anderson Dana became overlord of Park Row and tangled with the crusading Joseph Pulitzer. Bennett's eccentric son did not wait for news to happen; he made it. The devastating circulation war between Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst reached a climax with the Spanish- American War. Hearst's sensationalism remained foremost with the masses until Joseph Patterson produced the most successful tabloid of the twentieth century. An epilogue connects the Park Row era to today's New York press.
Traces the evolution of the modern newspaper over a 100-year period as forged by Park Row's giants, including Horace Greeley, William Randolph Hearst, Joseph Pulitzer, and Joseph Patterson. Highlights their circulation wars and battles with the federal government, and looks at the contributions of some of the era's most dynamic writers, illustrators, and cartoonists. Includes b&w historical photos and illustrations from newspapers. Turner is a retired US Army lieutenant-colonel and a historian of New York journalism who has worked as a newspaper reporter, copy editor, and radio news writer. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Turner's love for his subject shines through on every page. The extensive bibliography reflects the depth of his interest and the scope of his research. Readers will find themselves drawn into the tale of these proud, flawed men and the world they ruled.
— American History