Edward Klein
Encyclopedia
Edward Klein is a bestselling
nonfiction author who has written about the Kennedys and Hillary Clinton.
Klein is the former foreign editor of Newsweek
and former editor in chief of The New York Times Magazine
. He frequently contributes to Vanity Fair
and Parade
; he has a weekly column in Parade called "Personality Parade" under the pseudonym "Walter Scott". Many of his books have been on The New York Times Bestseller list.
Klein is the step-father-in-law
of Ruth Shalit
.
He was also the principal for the Business Communications School at The Euclid High School Complex.
Klein attended Colgate University
, graduated from Columbia University School of General Studies
, and received an MS degree from the Columbia University
school of journalism. He is the father of two grown children, Karen (former manager of The Four Seasons restaurant in New York City), and Alec (a reporter for The Wall Street Journal). He has been divorced twice, and is currently married to Dolores Barrett, a public relations executive.
He came under fire for his biography of Hillary Clinton titled, The Truth about Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She'll Go to Become President
which was released on June 21, 2005. On the day of its release Sean Hannity
interviewed him on the radio. Radio host Al Franken
, along with Joe Conason
interviewed him on Air America
that month as well. During the interview, Franken and Conason exposed inaccuracies in Klein's book, including incorrect names and deliberate omissions from quotes with the intention to deceive the reader. Klein claimed that he was not told that Conason, who had authored The Hunting of the President
in defense of the Clintons, would join the interview, but Franken asserted that Klein's publicist was informed that Conason would help conduct the interview.
Bestseller
A bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade figures and published by newspapers, magazines, or bookstore chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and...
nonfiction author who has written about the Kennedys and Hillary Clinton.
Klein is the former foreign editor of Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
and former editor in chief of The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
. He frequently contributes to Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
and Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
; he has a weekly column in Parade called "Personality Parade" under the pseudonym "Walter Scott". Many of his books have been on The New York Times Bestseller list.
Klein is the step-father-in-law
Father-in-law
A parent-in-law is a person who has a legal affinity with another by being the parent of the other's spouse. Many cultures and legal systems impose duties and responsibilities on persons connected by this relationship...
of Ruth Shalit
Ruth Shalit
Ruth Shalit is a freelance writer and former journalist, dismissed from The New Republic for plagiarism and inaccuracy.-Education:Shalit graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton University in 1992...
.
He was also the principal for the Business Communications School at The Euclid High School Complex.
Klein attended Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
, graduated from Columbia University School of General Studies
Columbia University School of General Studies
The School of General Studies, commonly known as General Studies or simply GS, is one of the three official undergraduate colleges at Columbia University. It is a highly selective Ivy League undergraduate liberal arts college designed for non-traditional students and confers Bachelor of Art and...
, and received an MS degree from the Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
school of journalism. He is the father of two grown children, Karen (former manager of The Four Seasons restaurant in New York City), and Alec (a reporter for The Wall Street Journal). He has been divorced twice, and is currently married to Dolores Barrett, a public relations executive.
Criticism
Klein's books have been dismissed by academics and journalists as "not only psychobabble", but "psychoblarney." An example of the criticism:The Boston Herald has quoted him calling the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy "a disturbed, neurotic, unstable young woman"; according to the Buffalo News, Klein's book The Kennedy Curse described Bessette Kennedy "sprawled on the floor in front of a sofa, disheveled and hollow-eyed, snorting cocaine with a gaggle of gay fashionistas." The News book review called The Kennedy Curse "a contrived and stretched effort that seeks legitimacy by surrounding a few interesting scoops with historical and psychological analysis," adding of one Klein passage: "He takes a long and involved analysis of Ireland's Great Famine of the 1840s, links it to the emigration of JFK's great-grandfather to Boston, and applies enough psychobabble to explain everything from President Kennedy's womanizing to William Kennedy Smith's celebrated rape trial in 1991."
He came under fire for his biography of Hillary Clinton titled, The Truth about Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She'll Go to Become President
The Truth About Hillary
The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She'll Go to Become President is a political biography about Hillary Clinton, the Democratic senator from New York, written by Edward Klein, the former editor of The New York Times Magazine.The 336-page book was released by...
which was released on June 21, 2005. On the day of its release Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
interviewed him on the radio. Radio host Al Franken
Al Franken
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
, along with Joe Conason
Joe Conason
Joe Conason is an American journalist, author and political commentator. He writes a column for the weekly New York Observer newspaper, for Salon.com and has written a number of books, including Big Lies , which addresses what he says are myths spread about liberals by conservatives.-Life and...
interviewed him on Air America
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
that month as well. During the interview, Franken and Conason exposed inaccuracies in Klein's book, including incorrect names and deliberate omissions from quotes with the intention to deceive the reader. Klein claimed that he was not told that Conason, who had authored The Hunting of the President
The Hunting of the President
The Hunting of the President is a 2004 English language documentary film about Bill Clinton. Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton appear in archived footage...
in defense of the Clintons, would join the interview, but Franken asserted that Klein's publicist was informed that Conason would help conduct the interview.
Publications
- The Obama IdentityThe Obama IdentityThe Obama Identity: A Novel is a 2010 novel written by Edward Klein and former Republican United States Representative John LeBoutillier. Among other things, the book explores and promotes the Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories and Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories in the form of...
(with John LeBoutillierJohn LeBoutillierJohn LeBoutillier is an American political columnist, pundit, and former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.-Education:...
), 2010. - KatieKatie CouricKatherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
: The Real Story, Crown Publishers, 2007. - The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She'll Go to Become President, Sentinel HCSentinel HCSentinel was established in 2003 as a dedicated conservative imprint within Penguin Group . It publishes a wide variety of right-of-center books on subjects like politics, history, public policy, culture, religion and international relations...
, 2005. - Farewell, Jackie: A Portrait of Her Final Days, Viking Books, 2004.
- All Too Human: The Love Story of Jack and Jackie Kennedy, St. Martin's Press, 2003.
- Just Jackie: Her Private Years, Ballatine Books, 1999.
- The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years, Pocket Books, 1996.
- If Israel lost the warIf Israel Lost the WarIf Israel Lost the War is a 1969 alternate history/political controversy book written jointly by Robert Littell, Richard Z. Chesnoff and Edward Klein.- Synopsis :...
(with Richard Z. Chesnoff and Robert LittellRobert LittellRobert Littell may refer to:* Robert Littell , New Jersey politician* Robert Littell , American writer...
), Coward-McCann, 1969.