In 1957, in the heart of the Eisenhower years, in the third
grade classroom of Sister Mary Lurana in Saint Brigid's
parochial school in Westbury, Long Island, was a mouthy,
obstreperous kid by the name of William O'Reilly. Quite a
handful he was, and so one day Sister Mary bent over him in
exasperation in response to some piece of mischief and told
him to his face, "William, you are a bold fresh piece of
humanity." Little did she know that she was, early in his
career as a troublemaker, defining the essence of Bill
O'Reilly and providing him with the title of his brash and
entertaining issues-based memoir.
In his most intimate book yet, O'Reilly goes back in time to
examine the people, places, and experiences that launched
him on his journey from being a working-class kid to an
immensely influential television personality and bestselling
author. Readers will learn how his traditional outlook was
formed in the crucible of his family, his neighborhood, his
church, and his schools, and how his views on America's
proper role in the world emerged from covering four wars on
five continents over three-plus decades as a news
correspondent. What will delight his many fans and surprise
many others is the humor and self-deprecation with which he
handles one of his core subjects: himself, and just how
O'Reilly became O'Reilly.