What Was I Thinking
A Memoir
Published on 1. June 2011
368 pages
978-1-86979-567-2 (ISBN)
Description
Bestselling hilarious memoir from New Zealand's most controversial media star.
Paul Henry is a natural-born story teller who spins a great yarn, and who says, 'I'll apologise for hurting people's feelings but I'll never apologise for being outrageous'.Paul Henry is a natural-born story teller who spins a great yarn, and who says, 'I'll apologise for hurting people's feelings but I'll never apologise for being outrageous'.
From the man whose controversial comments on TV divided the country, and almost caused an international incident, comes this very funny memoir.
Packed with stories from his eventful childhood and his long and adventurous career in journalism, this is a gripping, often hilarious and always entertaining read. It gives a fascinating insight into the complex character of Paul Henry.
He's surprising - he doesn't subscribe to any expected set of beliefs, he's an individual with contradictory opinions.
He's bold - he set himself up as an international news correspondent working out of his Masterton lounge, watching CNN and jetting off to the latest hotspot. He's talked himself into getting interviews with people as diverse as Peter Ustinov and the Prime Minister of Malaysia; he was there for the funerals of Diana and Mother Theresa; he's been thrown into jail in Iraq.
He's versatile - starting with drama school, then broadcasting at the BBC, head of Radio NZ, standing for parliament against Georgina Beyer, international correspondent - as well as protesting at Mururoa and running an antique shop and his own radio station.
And, he's all-round entertaining!
More details
Person
Paul Henry, journalist and radio and television presenter, was the host of TV One's popular Breakfast show in New Zealand before moving to Australia to co-host Channel Ten's Breakfast show, returning to New Zealand in 2013 to further his television work. His memoir, What Was I Thinking, was a bestseller on release.
Known for making outrageous and often controversial comments - sometimes tagged a right-wing 'shock-jock' - Henry has had an extensive career in radio and television. He has been an international news correspondent and has interviewed people as diverse as Peter Ustinov and the prime minister of Malaysia, and covered the funerals of Princess Diana and Mother Theresa.
Henry started out at drama school, before entering broadcasting as a projectionist with the BBC's natural history unit. Returning to New Zealand, he became a producer at National Radio, before working as an announcer on a variety of radio stations, including his own radio station, Today FM.
His forays into the world of politics include protesting against the nuclear testing at Mururoa, alongside activist lawyer Peter Williams, and standing for Parliament against New Zealand's first transgender MP, Georgina Beyer.
The Otago Daily Times reviewer, 'hooked from the first page', found What Was I Thinking? 'an entertaining and heartfelt memoir [which] holds fast to his beliefs and opinions' and 'was difficult to put down', concluding 'you won't find many "close to home" memoirs as newsy, entertaining, or as interesting as Paul Henry's'.
