Max Frankel

Easton Press Max Frankel books

The Times of My Life and My Life with The Times - signed first edition - 1999

 

Max Frankel biography

Max Frankel (born February 3, 1930) is a German-born American journalist and author who made significant contributions to journalism, particularly during his long and esteemed career at The New York Times. His work, marked by investigative reporting and insightful analysis, has left a lasting impact on the field of journalism. Born in Gdynia, Poland, Max Frankel's family fled the Nazis and emigrated to the United States in 1940. He went on to attend Columbia University, where he began his journey in journalism as a reporter for the Columbia Daily Spectator. After graduating in 1952, Frankel's career in journalism gained momentum. Max Frankel joined The New York Times in 1952, starting as a night copy boy. Over the years, he steadily climbed the ranks, showcasing his talents as a reporter and editor. His tenure at The New York Times spanned several decades, and he became the newspaper's executive editor from 1986 to 1994. In this role, Frankel played a crucial part in shaping the newspaper's editorial direction and maintaining its commitment to journalistic integrity. Frankel's journalistic achievements include his coverage of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and his reporting on the Vietnam War. His insightful analysis and commitment to accuracy were recognized with a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 1973 for his coverage of President Richard Nixon's trip to China.

Apart from his work at The New York Times, Max Frankel has also authored books, contributing his perspectives on journalism and political history. One of his notable books is High Noon in the Cold War: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and the Cuban Missile Crisis (2004), where he provides an in-depth examination of the pivotal events during the Cold War.

Max Frankel's influence extended beyond his individual reporting and editing roles. He contributed to the evolution of journalism standards and practices, leaving an indelible mark on the industry. His dedication to truth-seeking and his ability to provide context to complex geopolitical events made him a respected figure in the world of journalism. Max Frankel's career serves as a testament to the importance of a free and vigilant press in fostering an informed citizenry. His commitment to journalistic excellence and his contributions to the field have had a lasting impact on the practice of journalism in the United States.
 

 

The Times of My Life and My Life with The Times

Since 1949, when Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Max Frankel began to write for The New York Times, readers have looked to his work as a lens through which they could witness America's role in a rapidly changing world. In this vivid and unforgettable memoir, Frankel chronicles the times of his extraordinary life as he experienced them...within the context of the news stories that defined an era.

A quintessentially American story, The Times of My Life traces Frankel's riveting personal relationship with history...his harrowing escape from Nazi Germany...his life as an immigrant on the streets of New York...and his extraordinary half-century-long career at The Times. In a rich first-person account that moves from Hitler's Berlin to Cold War Moscow, from Castro's Havana to the newsroom of America's most influential newspaper, this powerful, compelling work interweaves Frankel's personal and professional lives with the era's greatest stories, from Sputnik to the Pentagon Papers to the collapse of the Berlin Wall. And it reveals Frankel's fascinating off-the-record encounters with Nikita Khrushchev, Henry Kissinger, John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and a host of other history makers who shaped their times and ours.


Guiding readers through Hitler's Berlin, Khrushchev's Moscow, Castro's Havana, and the Washington of Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, The Times of My Life reevaluates the Cold War, and interweaves Frankel's personal and professional life with the greatest stories of the era.