The Forum Files

The Stories Behind The Richmond Forum

Non-Fiction - General
Kindle Edition
Reviewed on 05/21/2016
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

Author Biography

RAY McALLISTER is the author of four award-winning books on the North Carolina coast -- "OCRACOKE: The Pearl of the Outer Banks"; "HATTERAS ISLAND: Keeper of the Outer Banks"; "WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH: The Luminous Island," and "TOPSAIL ISLAND: Mayberry by the Sea" -- as well as an earlier collection of his newspaper columns, "REFLECTIONS: Objects in Mirror Appear Backwards, But Maybe It's Me."

Formerly an award-winning columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, then editor of Boomer magazine, Ray lives with his wife, Vicki, in Richmond, Va., and Surf City, N.C.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Vernita Naylor for Readers' Favorite

The Forum Files: The Stories Behind The Richmond Forum by Ray McAllister is a colorful, illustrative story of how The Richmond Forum (Richmond, Virginia) came to be one of the most prestigious and highly attended speaker's forums worldwide. Just in glancing at the table of contents you will able to glean the richness of The Richmond Forum from 1934 to present day. The Richmond Forum was the brainchild of Ralph Krueger. Krueger wanted to create a public platform where some of the greatest actors, authors, musicians, politicians and humanitarians could come and be transparent about everyday life, politics, religion and other subjects. Bill Chapman, Executive Director of The Richmond Forum, tasked author Ray McAllister to craft a book in honor of The Forum’s thirtieth season and The Forum Files was born.

In reading The Forum Files: The Stories Behind the Richmond Forum by Ray McAllister, I not only learned about the history of The Richmond Forum, but was able to get up close and personal with not only Richard Krueger’s vision but some of the personal letters, thank you notes, quotes and personalities that graced the stage. This is not an exhaustive list but some personalities include Archbishop Desmond Tutu (humanitarian), George Clooney (actor), Wynton Marsalis (musician), Mary Tyler Moore (actress), Ralph Nader (consumer advocate), Alex Haley (author), Bill Cosby (actor, producer, comedian), Mike Wallace (60 Minutes newscaster) and Oprah Winfrey (philanthropist, actor, director, media personality). If you are interested in finding out what other speakers graced The Forum and more about The Richmond Forum’s history, pick up a copy of The Forum Files: The Stories Behind the Richmond Forum by Ray McAllister.