The Last Days of the New Yorker

by Gigi Mahon

For 60 years The New Yorker was a bastion of culture and elegance — and the uncontested best magazine for publishing new fiction and for nonfiction reporting. Its sale to media mogul S.I. Newhouse in 1985, the sudden firing of its editor of 35 years, William Shawn, and the hiring of new editor Robert Gottlieb sent shock waves through the American literary world. Now Gigi Mahon gives the first full account of perhaps the most controversial takeover in publishing. With a wealth of revealing details, she answers "how" and "why" a family-controlled enterprise thought to be unassailable was targeted as easy prey by a corporate raider — and quickly devoured. Rich in anecdotes about famous names associated with this great magazine — James Thurber, E.B. White, John Cheever, Truman Capote, and Lillian Ross — this dramatic account is the definitive story of the rise, the fall, and the remaking of one of America's most beloved literary institions.

358 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1988

Reviews

[Maurice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Something about magazine publishing and the unique character of the New Yorker and the men who established it. The book is not particularly well written but left me better informed.