Somewhat mixed biography of the socialite-turned-newspaper editor and publisher. One of the reasons I found it mixed was that the subject isn't particularly sympathetic -- in many respects, a spoiled, neurotic individual who made life miserable for many in her life. She was a success in her new field of newspaper publishing, owing to certain talents, but this part of the book takes up only about the last quarter. A lot of the rest is about Patterson's unhappy love life and assorted habits. Not particularly recommended. ( )

Cissy Patterson (1884-1948): a debutante, a countess, a wife, a mother, an actress, a novelist, a millionaire, a journalist, and a publisher. She knew everyone. She was a fabulously wealthy woman who crammed about five lives into one lifetime. She went to more dances before the age of 21 than most people go to in a lifetime. She had friends, she had enemies, she had social prestige and power as well as interesting work at the newspaper--and she worked hard at it. She was a close friend of Alice Roosevelt. She had fabulous homes. Yet, if you believe the biographer, and I think I do, "Cissy" was never happy one day in her life.

She was the granddaughter of Joseph Medill, who owned the Chicago Tribune.
She was the sister of Joseph Patterson, founder of the New York Daily News.
She was a great friend of Randolph Hearst.
She was the first woman to edit and publish a major American newspaper, the Washington Times-Herald.

The subject is fascinating; the biog by Martin is poorly written; it reads like a first draft. He gives a vague list of sort of generic resources for each chapter. His list of thanks and acknowledgments goes on for more pages than the notes. ( )