Overview

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Named a Best Book of the Year by critics from both NPR and the New York Post!

"The voice of a man who tasted the best of the American century and still left the party early, with his dignity intact." --The New Yorker

From the pages of Spy and Vanity Fair to the red carpets of Hollywood, editor Graydon Carter's memoir revives the glamorous heyday of print magazines when they were at the vanguard of American culture


After working at both Time and Life and cofounding Spy, Graydon Carter was offered the editorship of Vanity Fair in 1992. He knew he faced an uphill battle--how to make the esteemed and long-established magazine his own. With curiosity, fearlessness, and a love of recent history and glamour that would come to define his storied career in magazines, Carter succeeded in endearing himself to his editors, contributors, and readers, as well as those who would grace the pages of Vanity Fair. He went on to run the magazine with overwhelming success for the next two and a half decades.

When the Going Was Good is Graydon Carter's lively recounting of how he made his mark as one of the most talented editors in the business, further planting a flag in Los Angeles with the legendary Vanity Fair Oscar party. With his inimitable voice and signature quip, he brings readers to lunches and dinners with the great and good of America, Britain, and Europe. He assembled one of the most formidable stables of writers and photographers under one roof, and here he re-creates in real time the steps he took to ensure Vanity Fair cemented its place as the epicenter of art, culture, business, and politics, even as digital media took hold. Charming, candid, and brimming with stories, When the Going Was Good perfectly captures the last golden age of print magazines from the inside out.

ISBN-13

9780593655924

ISBN-10

0593655923

Weight

0.78 Pounds

Dimensions

5.46 x 0.89 x 8.37 In

List Price

$22.00

Format

Paperback

Language

English

Pages

432 pages

Publisher

Penguin Books

Published On

2026-03-24



View All Offers

Sort by:

Condition
Seller
Seller Comments
Price
Brand New
Seller details
Paperbackshop
★★★★★

Bensenville, IL, USA

New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot of...
$28.40

 Free delivery by: 31 Mar 2026

Brand New
Seller details
Book Culture Inc.
★★★★★

New York, NY, USA

Brand New. Ships from an indie bookstore in NYC. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 432 p.
$28.80

 Free delivery by: 31 Mar 2026


Bookstores.com relies on cookies to improve your experience.