This is an absolutely wonderful book by a Canadian treasure. Every Canadian, and American, should read it. 5 stars!

PS. If you don’t, listen to Peter’s podcast, The Bridge. He’s just an exceptional human.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. I am an Indigo employee - this review is my own.

Off the Record is a memoir with wide-ranging appeal, particularly for Canadian readers. Using short chapters and anecdotes, journalist Peter Mansbridge discusses his life and work in a personal and entertaining manner which captures the readers attention throughout. It is definitely a good coffee table book that can be picked up and out down without the fear of losing the flow of the conversation. Mansbridge is a talented writer and journalist and we found this memoir sold well over the Christmas period. Covering a wide range of topics from her personal journey from Churchill, Manitoba to The National, the fall of the Berlin Wall and his cameo on the movie 'Zootopia' this memoir has something for everyone.

I know I am late in doing this review but I did order copies in for our store and I do tell people that it is a great book because Peter shares his life story plus all the great highlights and anecdotes from his career. I didn’t get a chance to read the digital copy but I personally did it as an audiobook. So glad I did because it was wonderful hearing that distinctive voice again. I loved that it was just that, about his life and career and not to political or heavy

Who doesn’t love Peter Mansbridge. What a great way to learn all about him and his career. Each chapter we learn more and more about the man we grew up to on the news.

I still miss Peter Mansbridge delivering the news on The National, as do many nother Canadians. Always calm and measured in his delivery, he was completely trustworthy, important qualities in a news anchor. Peter's memoir is full of interesting stories of people and places that made the news, and his book presents a good behind the scenes look at what goes into delivering the nightly news.

Off The Record is the memoir of retired journalist and news anchor Peter Mansbridge.

Last year, I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Peter Mansbridge’s book, Extraordinary Canadians, a look at everyday overachievers who receive little to no fanfare day-to-day. With Off The Record, Mansbridge turns the spotlight on himself bringing us his life story inside one of the year’s most anticipated books.

In his memoir, Mansbridge brings the reader into his early years as an immigrant from England, growing up in the Glebe, a middle/upper-class Ottawa neighborhood. Several years later, an off-chance meeting with a CBC employee in Manitoba allowed Peter to leave his airline job to explore a career in radio. From there, as a reader, you’re off to the races.

Peter keeps each chapter brief as he unfolds his life story in what is almost akin to a series of anecdotes. I would go so far as to prefer this storytelling method to some memoirs out there that come across as over-indulgent with every aspect of one’s life scrutinized and analyzed to death.

The subject matter here is light and breezy. You aren’t going to find a whole hell of a lot of controversial topics in these pages as Peter is more concerned with entertaining his readers and informing them just how much work went into anchoring a national news program. His reflections into covering major stories like 9/11 were eye-opening, showing just to how tough it must have been to be the calm voice in the room when the world is on fire.

I don’t know if this one will end up in my honorable mentions, let alone my best-of-2021 list, but Off The Record is a solid memoir with wide-spread appeal. A good palate cleanser of a read that can be enjoyed in small bites.

I moved to Canada from the U.S.A. in January 1993. First on a work visa, then as a landed Immigrant, and eventually became a citizen. I first learned about Canadian politics from Peter Mansbridge, CBC News Chief Correspondent and anchor of The National on CBC. His news style/personality, felt like a personal welcome to Canada, even though I have never had the opportunity to meet him in person.

I was so sad when he retired. So, when I was invited to read his new book, ‘Off The Record’, I jumped at the chance. In it, he recounts his start in Churchill, Manitoba to his leap to The National. Through his stories, he introduced me to Knowlton Nash, who was the anchor of The National before Mansbridge.

He wrote about our past prime ministers. Being interested in politics, I had read about them but he shared antidotes that I did not know which made them even more human to me. He wrote about some of our national treasures like Jann Arden.

He recounted his coverage of the Berlin Wall coming down and 9/11. In turns he had me laughing and crying with his serious stories and the fun he had, such as the time he was asked to play the role of Peter Moosebridge in the Disney movie, ‘Zootopia’. LOL! There was his poignant interview with Gord Downie before he passed away. I saw that interview and he made me cry again, as he recounted it.

To me, Peter Mansbridge is a national treasure! To me, he is the Canadian equivalent to Walter Cronkite. He also wrote about Cronkite and other U.S. anchors. This is a book that I am sure I will revisit. I am sure Mr. Mansbridge has many more stories to tell and I hope he writes another book. I will definitely read it! Perhaps covid will not be an issue and he will tour with the next book and stop in Vancouver so, I can see him in person and get his books signed. Even that very brief interaction would mean so much to me!

Thank you, Peter Mansbridge, for welcoming me to Canada and teaching me about the many facets of the Canadian Way!

A man (and piece) of Canadian history…

Peter Mansbridge, the CBC, The National. Huge pillars in my household growing up where the one channel you had, had it all. Hockey, Sesame Street, the news. And this news anchor, from my childhood to adulthood, was the face of it all. His deep, calming voice imparted all the news of the day – political and otherwise – and really was a mainstay in any household on my block. Where Walter Cronkite was the face and voice of US news, Peter Mansbridge was his Canadian counterpart…

I couldn’t wait to hear the ‘behind the scenes’ of it all and he provided it, in that same mesmerizing voice. So many of the events of the day I can remember and to hear it all, feel it through his eyes, was a refresher and an eye-opener. Who didn’t want to be that fly on the wall, observing history in the making. And he got to be a part of so much of it.

From the content to the writing style, this book invited me in to enjoy both new and old stories of our country and its place in the world. And enjoy I did!

Peter Mansbridge was born in England and moved to Ottawa, ON, with his family when he was young. He didn't graduated from high school and instead joined the Royal Canadian for a couple years. Looking for a job, he ended up as a ticket agent/baggage handler in at the small Churchill Airport in Churchill, MB. The manager of a local CBC radio station liked his voice when he was doing announcements and hired him part time as a night time host. From there, he moved up and eventually became news anchor of CBC’s The National (from which he retired in 2017).

This book is full of his random stories, starting with his family and childhood, moving from England to Malaya and finally Ottawa. He then tells us how he ended up with a broadcasting career, which no education or formal training. From there he tells of the wide variety of stories he has covered over the years, including the wars in the Middle East, being on an icebreaker in the Northern Passage, covering Princess Diana's death and 9/11, meeting world leaders and even telling of the Friendly Giant's death.

I liked this book and the writing style. It is written at a high level and with honesty and at times humor.

As a Canadian who grew up being a "news junkie" and always wanting to know what was going on in the world, I knew of Peter Mansbridge from an early age. So, you can imagine how excited and humbled I was to receive an early copy of this book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading his never-before-told stories, many of which made me laugh out loud. In the age of social media and "fake news" conspiracies, this book will give you insight into just how hard journalists work to report the facts and the truth.

Peter Mansbridge is kind of an icon is my and I'm sure everyone else's household. He's a bit like Tim Hortons and poutine and as a kid/young adult and eventually adult hearing the dun-dun-dun chime of The National was just apart of everyday life. Having the opportunity to read his autobiography is an extreme privilege and I can honestly say that I really enjoyed this. I'm going to get this book for family as Christmas presents because it's definitely a must-read for Canadians everywhere.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for this opportunity and to Peter himself for revealing his life to us!