Laurence Leamer
Encyclopedia
Laurence Leamer is a best-selling author
and journalist
. Leamer is a former Ford Fellow in International Development at the University of Oregon
and a former International Fellow at Columbia University
. He is regarded as an expert on the Kennedy family
and has appeared in numerous media outlets discussing American politics
. Leamer has also written best-selling biographies of other American icons, including Johnny Carson
, the Reagan family, and Arnold Schwarzenegger
.
and later moved to upstate New York
with his family where he attended Vestal Central High School. He attended Antioch College
where he spent a year in France
, studied at the Université de Besançon, and worked in a factory. He received his B.A.
in History from Antioch in 1964. After his graduation, Leamer joined the Peace Corps
and was stationed in the mountains of Nepal
. When he returned home, Leamer studied both at the University of Oregon
and the prestigious Columbia University School of Journalism, where he graduated second in his class in 1969 while being named a Pulitzer International Fellow.
After finishing at Columbia, Leamer worked as an associate editor at Newsweek
before turning to writing magazine articles for a range of publications, including Harper's, The New York Times Magazine
, and Playboy
. During this period, Leamer worked in a coal mine
in West Virginia
, while researching an article. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
, he was the only journalist to live in a Bengali hotel in Dacca and travel to remote areas of the newborn Bangladesh
. His article in Harper's won a citation from the Overseas Press Club
for "Best Magazine Reporting".
due to his exhaustive trilogy on the family, of which The Kennedy Women was the main selection of the Book of the Month Club
and reached number two on the New York Times Best Seller list. His other two books on the Kennedys, The Kennedy Men and Sons of Camelot were equally well received. He has often been interviewed by NBC Nightly News
, The New York Times
, CNN
and NPR
to lend his expertise to matters concerning the Kennedys, Ronald Reagan
, and American politics. In the period following the death of John F. Kennedy, Jr.
, Leamer served as the on-air consultant for MSNBC
's coverage of the plane crash and subsequent funeral. He again served as a consultant during the coverage of former President Ronald Reagan's funeral
.
Leamer has not limited himself to covering only the Kennedys, as several of his other books have graced best-seller lists, including his biography of Johnny Carson
, King of the Night, which spent over 6 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list. In writing his novel, Assignment, Leamer lived in Peru
for two years to research the cocaine trade
. He again immersed himself in his topic when he moved to Nashville
to research the business and lifestyle of country music
and its many stars for Three Chords and the Truth. Each of the books were lauded for the depth of their research. Leamer also briefly flirted with movie fame when his work on the life of famed mountaineer Willi Unsoeld was purchased by Robert Redford
's production company to be turned into a film. The film remains in the development stages. Leamer's latest book, Madness Under the Royal Palms
details the intrigue of life in Palm Beach
among its wealthy inhabitants.
His newest project is a book about Caperton v. Massey, a thirteen-year-long lawsuit in which a small coal miner owner sued a coal mogul for driving his business bankrupt. It involves allegations of judicial corrpution in the West Virginia Supreme court and a landmark decision in the United States Supreme Court.
and Washington, D.C.
Leamer's brother, Edward, is an economics professor at UCLA, the Chauncey J. Medberry Chair in Management, and director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast. His other brother, Robert, is an attorney and executive vice president of a leading hospital group in New York City
.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. Leamer is a former Ford Fellow in International Development at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
and a former International Fellow at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He is regarded as an expert on the Kennedy family
Kennedy family
In the United States, the phrase Kennedy family commonly refers to the family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald that was prominent in American politics and government. Their political involvement has revolved around the...
and has appeared in numerous media outlets discussing American politics
American politics
American politics is an area of study within the academic discipline of political science. It is primarily, but not exclusively, studied by researchers in the United States...
. Leamer has also written best-selling biographies of other American icons, including Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
, the Reagan family, and Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
.
Biography
Leamer was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and later moved to upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
with his family where he attended Vestal Central High School. He attended Antioch College
Antioch College
Antioch College is a private, independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was the founder and the flagship institution of the six-campus Antioch University system. Founded in 1852 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1853 with politician and...
where he spent a year in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, studied at the Université de Besançon, and worked in a factory. He received his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in History from Antioch in 1964. After his graduation, Leamer joined the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
and was stationed in the mountains of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. When he returned home, Leamer studied both at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
and the prestigious Columbia University School of Journalism, where he graduated second in his class in 1969 while being named a Pulitzer International Fellow.
After finishing at Columbia, Leamer worked as an associate editor at Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
before turning to writing magazine articles for a range of publications, including Harper's, The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
, and Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
. During this period, Leamer worked in a coal mine
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, while researching an article. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
, he was the only journalist to live in a Bengali hotel in Dacca and travel to remote areas of the newborn Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. His article in Harper's won a citation from the Overseas Press Club
Overseas Press Club
The Overseas Press Club of America was founded in 1939 in New York City by a group of foreign correspondents. The wire service reporter Carol Weld was a founding member...
for "Best Magazine Reporting".
Work
Leamer is widely regarded as an expert on the Kennedy familyKennedy family
In the United States, the phrase Kennedy family commonly refers to the family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald that was prominent in American politics and government. Their political involvement has revolved around the...
due to his exhaustive trilogy on the family, of which The Kennedy Women was the main selection of the Book of the Month Club
Book of the Month Club
The Book of the Month Club is a United States mail-order book sales club that offers a new book each month to customers.The Book of the Month Club is part of a larger company that runs many book clubs in the United States and Canada. It was formerly the flagship club of Book-of-the-Month Club, Inc...
and reached number two on the New York Times Best Seller list. His other two books on the Kennedys, The Kennedy Men and Sons of Camelot were equally well received. He has often been interviewed by NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
to lend his expertise to matters concerning the Kennedys, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, and American politics. In the period following the death of John F. Kennedy, Jr.
John F. Kennedy, Jr.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. , often referred to as John F. Kennedy, Jr., JFK Jr., John Jr. or John-John, was an American socialite, magazine publisher, lawyer, and pilot. The elder son of U.S. President John F...
, Leamer served as the on-air consultant for MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
's coverage of the plane crash and subsequent funeral. He again served as a consultant during the coverage of former President Ronald Reagan's funeral
Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan
On June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, died after having suffered from Alzheimer's disease for nearly a decade. His seven-day state funeral followed, spanning June 5–11...
.
Leamer has not limited himself to covering only the Kennedys, as several of his other books have graced best-seller lists, including his biography of Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
, King of the Night, which spent over 6 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list. In writing his novel, Assignment, Leamer lived in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
for two years to research the cocaine trade
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
. He again immersed himself in his topic when he moved to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to research the business and lifestyle of country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and its many stars for Three Chords and the Truth. Each of the books were lauded for the depth of their research. Leamer also briefly flirted with movie fame when his work on the life of famed mountaineer Willi Unsoeld was purchased by Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
's production company to be turned into a film. The film remains in the development stages. Leamer's latest book, Madness Under the Royal Palms
Madness Under the Royal Palms
Madness Under The Royal Palms - Love and Death in Palm Beach is a book by author Laurence Leamer, published by Hyperion, and released on January 20, 2009.-Overview:...
details the intrigue of life in Palm Beach
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
among its wealthy inhabitants.
His newest project is a book about Caperton v. Massey, a thirteen-year-long lawsuit in which a small coal miner owner sued a coal mogul for driving his business bankrupt. It involves allegations of judicial corrpution in the West Virginia Supreme court and a landmark decision in the United States Supreme Court.
Personal life
Leamer is married to Vesna Obradovic, who assists him with the research for his books. The author has one daughter, Daniela, and two grandchildren. The couple maintain residences in Palm Beach, FloridaPalm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Leamer's brother, Edward, is an economics professor at UCLA, the Chauncey J. Medberry Chair in Management, and director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast. His other brother, Robert, is an attorney and executive vice president of a leading hospital group in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Books
- The Paper Revolutionaries: The Rise of the Underground Press - 1972
- Playing for Keeps in Washington - 1977
- Assignment - 1979
- Ascent: The Spiritual and Physical Quest of Willi Unsoeld - 1982
- Make-Believe: The Story of Nancy and Ronald Reagan - 1983
- As Time Goes By: The Life of Ingrid Bergman - 1986
- King of the Night: The Life of Johnny Carson - 1989
- The Kennedy Women: The Saga of an American Family - 1994
- Three Chords and the Truth: Hope, Heartbreak, and Changing Fortunes in Nashville - 1997
- The Kennedy Men 1901-1963: The Laws of the Father - 2001
- Sons of Camelot: The Fate of an American Dynasty- 2004
- Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger - 2005
- Madness Under the Royal Palms: Love and Death Behind the Gates of Palm BeachMadness Under the Royal PalmsMadness Under The Royal Palms - Love and Death in Palm Beach is a book by author Laurence Leamer, published by Hyperion, and released on January 20, 2009.-Overview:...
- 2009