Edward J. Klein (born 1936) is an American author and former foreign editor of ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

'', former editor-in-chief of ''

The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine Supplement (publishing), supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted man ...

'' (1977–1987). He has written about the Kennedys,

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

, and

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

Early life

Born in

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as enu ...

, Klein attended

Colgate University Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...

, graduated from

Columbia University School of General Studies The School of General Studies, Columbia University (GS) is a liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in liberal arts and sciences. Such c ...

, and received an MS degree from the

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is located in Pulitzer Hall on the university's Morningside Heights campus in New York City. Founded in 1912 by Joseph Pulitzer, Columbia Journalism School is one of the oldest journalism s ...

Professional life

Klein is the former foreign editor of ''

'' and served as the editor-in-chief of ''

'' from 1977 to 1987. He frequently contributes to '' Vanity Fair'' and ''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...

'' and writes a weekly celebrity gossip column in ''Parade'' called "

Walter Scott's Personality Parade "Walter Scott's Personality Parade" is a column in ''Parade (magazine), Parade'' magazine featuring celebrity gossip. As of 2001 Edward Klein is the author of the column, which is in the inside cover of the magazine.Woo, Elaine. "Lloyd Shearer; Lea ...

" under the pseudonym "Walter Scott." (The Walter Scott pseudonym had originally been used by

Lloyd Shearer Lloyd "Skip" Shearer (December 20, 1916 – May 27, 2001Wadler, Joyce." ''The New York Times''. May 27, 2001. Retrieved on August 5, 2014.) was an American celebrity gossip columnist. From 1958 to 1991, he wrote "Walter Scott's Personality Parade" ...

, who wrote the column from 1958 to 1991.) He also writes books, many of which have been on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list. Additionally, he was the principal for the Business Communications School at The Euclid High School Complex. He was photographed by ''

Humans of New York ''Humans of New York'' (HONY) is a photoblog and book of street portraits and interviews collected on the streets of New York City. Started in November 2010 by photographer Brandon Stanton, ''Humans of New York'' has developed a large followin ...

'' photographer

Brandon Stanton Brandon Stanton (born March 1, 1984) is an American author, photographer, and blogger. He is the author of ''Humans of New York,'' a photoblog and book. He was named to ''Time'' magazine's "30 Under 30 People Changing The World" list. Since 20 ...

, on June 12, 2014, which led to his personal website crashing due to a high volume of visitors. Klein is also a contributor for the ''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

''.

Personal life

Klein is the father of two grown children, Karen (former manager of the

Four Seasons restaurant The Four Seasons Restaurant (known colloquially as the Four Seasons) was a New American cuisine restaurant in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City from 1959 to 2019. The Four Seasons operated within the Seagram Building at 99 Ea ...

in New York City), and Alec (a professor at

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

). He has been divorced twice. He was married to Dolores J. Barrett, senior vice president for Worldwide Public Relations at

Polo Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren Corporation is an American publicly traded fashion company that was founded in 1967 by American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. The company is headquartered in New York City, producing products ranging from the mid-range to the luxur ...

, who died on 24 December 2013 in Manhattan. Klein is the stepfather-in-law of

Ruth Shalit Ruth Shalit Barrett (; born 1971) is an American freelance writer and journalist whose work has appeared in ''The New Republic'', ''The Wall Street Journal'', ''ELLE'', ''New York Magazine'' and ''The Atlantic''. In 1999 she resigned from ''T ...

Criticism

Klein received extensive criticism for his 2005 biography of Hillary Clinton, ''

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 controversial political biography about Hillary Clinton, then a Democratic senator from New York, written by Edward Klein, the former ed ...

''. ''

Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...

'' criticized the book for "serious factual errors, truncated and distorted quotes and overall themes

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

don't gibe with any other serious accounts of Clinton's life." The conservative columnist

John Podhoretz John Mordecai Podhoretz (; born April 18, 1961) is an American writer. He is the editor of ''Commentary'' magazine, a columnist for the ''New York Post'', the author of several books on politics, and a former speechwriter for Presidents Ronald ...

criticized the book in the ''New York Post'', "Thirty pages into it, I wanted to take a shower. Sixty pages into it, I wanted to be decontaminated. And 200 pages into it, I wanted someone to drive stakes through my eyes so I wouldn't have to suffer through another word." In the ''

National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief i ...

'', conservative columnist

Jim Geraghty Jim Geraghty () is the senior political correspondent of ''National Review'' and author of several books. In addition to writing for ''National Review'', Geraghty blogs for ''National Review Online'' and is a former reporter for States News Service ...

wrote, "Folks, there are plenty of arguments against Hillary Clinton, her policies, her views, her proposals, and her philosophies. This stuff ain't it. Nobody on the right, left, or center ought to stoop to this level."

Kathryn Jean Lopez Kathryn Jean Lopez (born March 22, 1976) is an American conservative columnist who is nationally syndicated by the United Feature Syndicate. She is also the former editor and currently an editor-at-large of ''National Review Online''. Her nicknam ...

of ''National Review'' asked Klein in a June 20, 2005, interview, "Why on earth would you put such a terrible story in your book ... that looks to be flimsily sourced at that?," regarding his suggestion that

Chelsea Clinton Chelsea Victoria Clinton (born February 27, 1980) is an American writer and global health advocate. She is the only child of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton ...

was conceived in an act of

marital rape Marital rape or spousal rape is the act of sexual intercourse with one's spouse without the spouse's consent. The lack of consent is the essential element and need not involve physical violence. Marital rape is considered a form of domestic vi ...

. Facing criticism from both the left and right for making the claim, Klein eventually backed away from the insinuation in an interview with radio host

Jim Bohannon James Everett Bohannon (January 7, 1944 – November 12, 2022) was an American broadcaster who worked in both television and radio. He is best known for hosting the nationally syndicated late night radio talk show ''The Jim Bohannon Show'' orig ...

on June 23, 2005. The British newspaper ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' pointed out a number of verifiable factual errors in Klein's 2014 book ''Blood Feud''.

Questions of credibility of sources in work

Klein has also come under fire for his use of anonymous quotes, purported to be from the subjects of his books, which he claims he received from anonymous insiders. The credibility of such quotes has been questioned by writers such as

Joe Conason Joe Conason (born January 25, 1954) is an American journalist, author and liberal political commentator. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of ''The National Memo'', a daily political newsletter and website that features breaking news and comme ...

and ''Salon'''s Simon Maloy and conservative commentators

Rush Limbaugh Rush Hudson Limbaugh III ( ; January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American conservative political commentator who was the host of '' The Rush Limbaugh Show'', which first aired in 1984 and was nationally syndicated on AM and FM r ...

and

Peggy Noonan Margaret Ellen Noonan (born 1950), known as Peggy Noonan, is a weekly columnist for ''The Wall Street Journal'', and contributor to NBC News and ABC News. She was a primary speechwriter and Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan from 1984 t ...

. "Some of the quotes strike me as odd, in the sense that I don't know people who speak this way," Limbaugh said of Klein's work, describing the sources as "grade school chatter."

Books

* ''All Out War: The Plot to Destroy Trump'',

Regnery Publishing Regnery Publishing is a politically conservative book publisher based in Washington, D.C. The company was founded by Henry Regnery in 1947, and is now a division of radio broadcaster Salem Media Group. It is led by President & Publisher Thomas Sp ...

, 2017 * ''Guilty as Sin: Uncovering New Evidence of Corruption and How Hillary Clinton and the Democrats Derailed the FBI Investigation'',

, 2016, * ''Unlikeable: The Problem with Hillary'',

, 2015 * ''Blood Feud: The Clintons vs. the Obamas'',

, 2014 * ''The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House'',

, 2012, * '' The Obama Identity'' (with

John LeBoutillier John LeBoutillier (born May 26, 1953) is an American political columnist, pundit, and former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York, serving a single two-year term. Education LeBoutillier graduated from t ...

), 2010 * ''

Katie Katie is an English feminine name. It is a form Katherine, Kate, Caitlin, Kathleen, Katey and their related forms. It is frequently used on its own. People Sports *Katie Boulter (born 1996), British tennis player *Katie Clark (born 1994), Briti ...

: The Real Story'',

Crown Publishers The Crown Publishing Group is a subsidiary of Penguin Random House that publishes across several fiction and non-fiction categories. Originally founded in 1933 as a remaindered books wholesaler called Outlet Book Company, the firm expanded into ...

, 2007 * '' The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She'll Go to Become President'', Sentinel HC, 2005 * ''Farewell, Jackie: A Portrait of Her Final Days'',

Viking Books Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim and then acquire ...

, 2004 * ''All Too Human: The Love Story of Jack and

Jackie Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A pop ...

'',

St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under si ...

, 2003 * ''Just Jackie: Her Private Years'',

Ballantine Books Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann in 1998 and remains ...

, 1999 * ''The

Kennedy Curse The Kennedy curse is a series of premature deaths, accidents, assassinations, and other calamities involving members of the American Kennedy family. The alleged curse has primarily struck the children and descendants of businessman Joseph P. Kenn ...

: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years'',

Pocket Books Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books. History Pocket Books produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing in ...

, 1996 * ''

If Israel Lost the War ''If Israel Lost the War'' is a 1969 alternate history political novel written jointly by Robert Littell, Richard Z. Chesnoff and Edward Klein. Synopsis The book's point of divergence is the assumption the Arab air forces on June 5, 1967, launch ...

'' (with Richard Z. Chesnoff and Robert Littell),

Coward-McCann G. P. Putnam's Sons is an American book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group. History The company began as Wiley & Putnam with the 1838 partnership between George Palmer Putnam and J ...

, 1969

References

External links

*
(Video) 2005 Debate between Klein

Al Franken Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He gained fame as a writer and performer on the television comed ...

and

The Al Franken Show ''The Al Franken Show'' was the flagship talk show of the former talk radio network, Air America Radio. Hosted by Al Franken, it featured commentary and interviews arguing for liberal positions on the issues of the day, and comically poking fun ...

Ed Klein on The George Jarkesy Show
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klein, Edward J. 1937 births American biographers American magazine editors American male non-fiction writers American political writers People from Yonkers, New York Colgate University alumni Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni Columbia University School of General Studies alumni American gossip columnists Living people The New York Times editors