Partage des connaissances

Autres noms: FRIEDRICH, Otto
Date de naissance: 1929
Date de décès: 1995-04-26
Sexe: male
Nationalité: USA
Lieu de naissance: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Lieu du décès: North Shore, New York, USA
Lieux de résidence: Locust Valley, New York, USA
Études: Harvard University (BA)
Professions: journalist
editor
historian
author
novelist
Organisations: Stars and Stripes
Newsweek
Saturday Evening Post (managing editor ∙ 1965-1969)
Time Magazine
Courte biographie: Otto Friedrich was born in Boston and grew up in New York. He graduated magna cum laude as a history major from Harvard, where his father was a political science professor. He began his writing career in Europe at Stars and Stripes and United Press. Returning to the USA, he got jobs at The Daily News and Newsweek in New York. The seven years he spent with The Saturday Evening Post, including four as its last managing editor, established Otto Friedrich as a leading writer. When the Post folded in 1969, Friedrich wrote a book about it, 'Decline and Fall," which was published the following year. The book won a George Polk Memorial Award and is still considered a classic of journalism and business. Friedrich then began to write novels, and created a series of children's books with his wife, Priscilla Broughton. He also wrote elegant histories, biographies and other acclaimed works of nonfiction, turning out an average of one book every two years, as well as numerous freelance articles and book reviews. All this substantive work was done at night while Friedrich held a full-time day job with Time Magazine, which he joined as a senior editor in 1971. He retired from the magazine in 1990.
Notice de désambigüisation: Please distinguish between this Author, Otto Friedrich, and other Authors having similar names, particularly Friedrich Otto. Thank you.

Membres

Critiques

Clover : The Tragic Love Story of Clover and Henry… par Otto Friedrich

When writing his autobiography in the late 1800s, Henry Adams, grandson of the former Presidents Adams, made no mention of his beloved wife of 13 years, Clover. Because the Adams' have gone down in history as having enjoyed an idyllic marriage before Clover was suddenly driven to suicide in 1885, author Otto Friedrich was determined to find out what went wrong.

Like many works of nonfiction that attempt to center on too narrow a topic, this book was filled to the brim with a lot of extra "stuff". One would think that a biography of a historical figure could surely fill up 350-odd pages, but there really isn't a lot of interesting information on record regarding Clover. The information presented in this book that pertains to her, personally, could have filled a magazine article. The information about her husband and others that directly affected the "tragic love story and their brilliant life" could have filled an essay. The subtitle for this book should really be something much more broad. Something like: "Clover: The tragic story of the Adams' and every person they could have had the slightest conversation with or even knowledge of during America's Gilded Age."

Since I've been on a 19th century reading rampage the last couple of years, I didn't mind so much, but there really isn't a whole lot in here about Clover, herself. The timeline switched around a lot---back and forth between different generations---so that was frustrating, especially since there were so many different Charles', Henrys, Abigails, and Adams', in general. The author also repeated information and even entire quotes, especially in the last 150 pages or so.

I didn't come away liking Henry very well. In their courting days, he seemed embarrassed that he was in love with Clover. After her death, he reminded me of someone I know well of the same age---that wandering, depressed, self-preserving person with whom every conversation is full of irritating, self-deprecating humor. The regretting personality of someone who has experienced great loss and is not entirely blameless.

Still, there were endearing moments. The Adams' seemed to have a true love and deep respect for one another. It was fun to read about their honeymoon discoveries in London: seeing "Whistler's Mother" at its debut and buying a "photographic apparatus". I also like the stories of how they worked together toward common goals, like when Clover distracted the Spanish archivist so Henry could do his clandestine research. I imagine her loss was more devastating than Henry could find words for---I suppose I shouldn't judge too harshly his lack of sentimentality.

Because her suicide was mentioned very early on, I kept looking for signs of mental illness in her character but finding none. At the beginning of her last year, even, I found it hard to believe this woman would take her own life so soon. I have a hard time believing it was only the despair of losing her father that drove her to suicide. Either there was more or the author made her out to be a much stronger and more level-headed woman than she really was.… (plus d'informations)

Signalé

classyhomemaker | 2 autres critiques | Dec 11, 2023 |

Before the Deluge: Portrait of Berlin in the 1920s, A par Otto Friedrich

Interesting book about Berlin between the wars.

Signalé

kslade | 7 autres critiques | Dec 8, 2022 |

The End of the World: A History par Otto Friedrich

A fascinating, if sometimes painfully detailed, look at several historical events often seen as apocryphal. Not an easy read but worth the effort

Signalé

colligan | Dec 22, 2020 |

Auschwitz , Storia del Lager 1940-1945 par Otto Friedrich

C’è un evento chiave nella storia di Auschwitz. Il 12 maggio del 1942, un convoglio da Sosnowiec scarica 1500 ebrei che, per la prima volta, non vengono né internati, né selezionati per le squadre di lavoro, né picchiati o freddati con un colpo di pistola. Vengono inviati direttamente alle camere a gas. (fonte: google books)

Signalé

MemorialeSardoShoah | 5 autres critiques | Apr 23, 2020 |

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