The Colonel (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: Richard Norton Smith
- First Published: 1997
- Type of Work: Biography
- Setting: Chicago, Illinois
- Principal Characters: Joseph Medill, Katharine “Kate” Medill McCormick, Robert R. “the Colonel” McCormick, Joseph M. Patterson, Eleanor “Cissy” Patterson
- Genres: Nonfiction, Biography
- Subjects: Journalism or journalists, Politics, Racism, World War II, Chicago, Adultery, Conservatism, Politicians, Publishing or publishers, World War I, Newspapers, Courts or courtrooms, Free speech
- Locales: Chicago, IL
This well-written biography demythologizes one of the most enigmatic media czars in twentieth century American history, a proudly insular Chicagoan whose provincial chauvinism personified a “Second City” mentality. Publisher’s ink was in the family bloodline; so, too, a history of mental illness and alcoholism, as well as combativeness and business acumen. Three of patriarch Joseph Medill’s grandchildren simultaneously ran big-city papers: While McCormick was stamping the Tribune with his blend of civic boosterism and Republican partisanship, cousins Joseph Medill...
[The entire page is 2225 words long]
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