Reed12345 --
Elmer Bendiner's book, "The Fall of Fortresses", G.P. Putnam' Sons,
New York, 1980 is itself highly autobiographical -- but that may be
what prompted your original question.
There are two good biographical resources for Bendiner, who died Sept.
16, 2001 at age 85:
New York Times
"Deaths: Bendiner, Elmer"
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B07E6DD153BF93BA2575AC0A9679C8B63
Both sources may take you to the library, though my local library has
them available online via subscription services:
1. Contemporary Authors Online, Gale Group 2004.
2. Proquest Historical Newspapers' archive of the New York Times.
The above article is available at the NY Times site but Proquest has a
complete index back to 1851 and includes the May 9, 1980 interview of
Bendiner after his book appeared.
According to the Gale Group biography, Bendiner was born in Pittsburgh
on Feb. 11, 1916. His father was William Bendiner, a businessman, and
his mother Lillian (Schwartz) Bendiner.
His youth was partly defined by being Jewish in an Appalachian
environment where the Ku Klux Klan was influential, according to this
Amazon.com review of "The Fall of Fortresses". However, later in his
life he described both his religion and politics as "defies neat
categorizing."
Amazon.com
"John Rooney Review," (May 9, 2002)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A19R2MO4YZ1IYB/102-9567084-2762523?_encoding=UTF8&display=public&page=6
He attended City College of New York from 1932-1935, then met and
married Esther Shapiro, an editorial assistant, while he was working
for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. They were married in 1941, just before
the U.S. entered World War II. During the war he was a B-17 navigator
in Europe -- which prompted the writing of his well-known book.
During the war he received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal
with 3 oak leaf clusters, and the Purple Heart.
After the war, he worked for Esquire Magazine, then a series of
medical publications from 1958 to the 1970s.
In addition to "The Fall of Fortresses," which NY Times reviewer
Christopher Lehmann-Haupt referred to as "a shining accomplishment,"
he wrote:
"The Bowery Man," Nelson Publishing, 1962.
"A Time for Angels: The Tragicomic History of the League of Nations," 1975
"The Virgin Diplomats," Knopf, 1976
"The Rise and Fal of Paradise," Putnam, 1983
"Biographical Dictionary of Medicine," Facts on File, 1990
Google search strategy:
"Elmer Bediner" -- with a little help from my public library
Best regards,
Omnivorous-GA |
