Power, Privilege and the Post

Katherine Graham's story has all the elements of the phoenix rising from the ashes, and in Carol Felsenthal's unauthorized biography, Power, Privilege, and the Post, Graham's personal tragedies and triumphs are revealed. The homely and insecure daughter of the Jewish millionaire and owner of The Washington Post, Eugene Myer, Kay married the handsome, brilliant and power hungry Phillip Graham in 1940. By 1948 Kay's father had turned control of The Washington Post over to Phil, who spent the next decade amassing a media empire that included radio and TV stations. But, as Felsenthal shows, he mostly focused on building the reputation of the Post and positioning himself as a Washington power-player. Plagued by manic depression, Phil's behavior became more erratic and outlandish, and his downward spiral ended in 1963 when he took his own life. Surprising the newspaper industry, Kay Graham took control of the paper, beginning one of the most unprecedented careers in media history.
Felsenthal weaves her exhaustive research into a perceptive portrayal of the Graham family and an expert dissection of the internal politics at the Post, and a portrait of one of a unique, tragic, and ultimately triumphant figure of twentieth-century America.“Power is a terrific newspaper book ... [It] is also an excellent business case history.” –Michael Stern, San Francisco Chronicle

“This is a lively biography about an ugly ducking who grew up to become a swan, or, possibly, given Mrs. Graham's wealth and power, an eagle.” –The New Yorker

“For sheer reading pleasure and a brilliant picture of a complex woman, pick up Power, Privilege, and the Post: The Katherine Graham Story. In my view, it has already won a prize for one of the best biographies of this, or perhaps, any year.” –Robert Holsinger, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“In Power, Privilege, and the Post, Carol Felsenthal has given us more than a biography of a single woman. This is a book that places its subject within a swirling context of newspaper publishing and American politics and helps us understand the power and privileges of the media in our time.” –Linda Simon, Chicago TribuneCAROL FELSENTHAL is the author of several acclaimed biographies, including the best-selling Power, Privilege, and the Post: The Katharine Graham Story; Princess Alice: The Life and Times of Alice Roosevelt Longworth; and The Sweetheart of the Silent Majority: The Biography of Phyllis Schlafly.