Martin Ebon (May 27, 1917 – February 11, 2006) was the pen-name of Hans Martin Schwarz, an American journalist and author of non-fiction books and articles from the paranormal to politics, particularly as an anti-communist.[1][2][3][4]
Background
editHans Martin Schwarz was born on May 27, 1917, in Hamburg, Germany.
Career
editDuring the 1930s, Schwarz published in Israelitisches Familienblatt among other German-Jewish periodicals.[1]
In 1938, Schwarz emigrated to the USA, lived in New York City from 1938 onwards, and changed his name from Hans Martin Schwartz to Martin Ebon.[1]
During World War II, he served in the U.S. Office of War Information (formed June 1942), the U.S. Department of State (as an information officer[citation needed]), and by 1948 had joined the staff of Partisan Review magazine.[2]
In January 1948, Ebon published his first book in English, World Communism Today.[2] The book reviewed a century of Marxism, following the publication of the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848.[5] Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. praised the book as an "outstanding work on communist penetration and strategy."[6] The book was cited as an expert source, e.g., 60,000 members in the Korean Communist Party as of 1949.[7] In March 1948, he appeared on WMAL AM radio in Washington, DC, to discuss "Which Way America – Fascism, Communism, Socialism, or Democracy?" with Raymond Moley (Conservative), Norman Thomas (Socialist), and Leon Milton Birkhead (Unitarian).[8] His July 1948 article "Communist Tactics in Palestine" in the Middle East Journal received a favorably review as "carefully documented" and "objective and non-partisan."[6] In 1953, his book Malenkov: Stalin's Successor received mixed reviews as "short,"[9] quickly published (weeks after Stalin's death), and carefully appraising thanks to the author's previous book on world communism.[10] It drew favorable comparison to Eugene Lyons' Our Secret Allies.[11]
Ebon held various positions in book and magazine retailing, including:
- Managing Editor of foreign language division, Overseas News Agency; U.S. Information Agency, New York City[citation needed]
- Information Officer on Far Eastern desks, 1950–52; Hill & Knowlton, Inc. (public relations), New York City[citation needed]
- Account Executive, 1952–53; Parapsychology Foundation, Inc., New York City, administrative secretary and editor, 1953–65, working closely with its founder, Eileen J. Garrett[4]
- Lombard Associates, Inc. (public relations and publications consultants), New York City, president, 1962–82[citation needed]
- Consulting Editor, New American Library (publishers), 1966–83[citation needed]
- Executive Editor of hardcover book division, Playboy Press, 1971–72[citation needed]
- Lecturer in Division of Social Sciences, The New School, 1949–50, 1955–56, 1967[citation needed]
- Consultant, Foundation for Research on the Nature of Man, 1966–67[citation needed]
- Free-lance writer from 1967 on[citation needed]
Personal life and death
editEbon married Chariklia Baltazzi; they had one son.[3]
Martin Ebon died age 82 on February 11, 2006, in Las Vegas, Nevada.[3]
Legacy
editThe Center for Jewish History houses articles written by Ebon between 1934 and 1938 for German-Jewish newspapers, plus reviews of his German-language books.[1]
Works
editEbon published dozens of books on world affairs and parapsychology.[1]
- Books in German
- Books in English
- World Communism Today (1948)[14][15]
- Malenkov: Stalin's Successor, McGraw-Hill, 1953
- Svetlana: The Story of Stalin's Daughter, New American Library, 1967
- Prophecy in Our Time, New American Library, 1968.
- The Making of a Legend, Universe Books, 1969.
- Lin Pao: The Life and Writings of China's New Ruler, Stein & Day.
- Witchcraft Today, New American Library, 1971.
- Every Woman's Guide to Abortion, Universe Books, 1971.
- They Knew the Unknown, World Publishing, 1971.
- The Truth about Vitamin E, Bantam, 1972.
- The Devil's Bride: Exorcism, Past and Present, Harper, 1974.
- The Essential Vitamin Counter, Bantam, 1974.
- Which Vitamins Do You Need?, Bantam, 1974.
- Saint Nicholas.- Life and Legend, Harper, 1975.
- The Satan Trap: Dangers of the Occult, Doubleday, 1976.
- What's New in ESP?, Pyramid, 1976.
- The Relaxation Controversy, New American Library, 1976.
- The Evidence for Life after Death, New American Library, 1977.
- Miracles, Signet, 1981.
- Psychic Warfare: Threat or Illusion, McGraw-Hill, 1983.
- The Andropov File, McGraw-Hill, 1983.
- Nikita Khrushchev, Chelsea House, 1986.
- The Soviet Propaganda Machine, McGraw-Hill, 1987.
- KGB: Death and Rebirth, Greenwood/Praeger, 1994
- Books as "Eric Ward"
- The President's Daughter with Ursala Russell, Bantam, 1973
- Articles
- "World Communism Has Passed Its Peak," American Mercury (January 1948)[2]
- "Communist Tactics in Palestine," Middle East Journal (July 1948)[16]
- "Psychic Studies: The Soviet Dilemma," Skeptical Inquirer (1985)[17]
- Miscellaneous
- Letter to Joshua Lederberg (15 November 1985)[18]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Hans Martin Schwarz Collection". Center for Jewish History. 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Ebon, Martin (January 1948). "World Communism Has Passed Its Peak". American Mercury: 7–16.
- ^ a b c "Martin Ebon". Occult World. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ a b "Author: Martin Ebon". Skeptical Inquirer. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ "Book Reviews and Notices". American Political Science Review: 1013–4. 1948. doi:10.2307/1950156. JSTOR 1950156. S2CID 147605344. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ a b "Comment on World Events". The Potters Herald. July 22, 1948. p. 3. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ "Communism is Down But Not Out in Japan, Fujita Writes from Tokyo". The Northwest Times. October 26, 1949. p. 4. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ "On the Air Tonight". Evening Star. March 16, 1948. p. 36. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ "Beria and the Jews: What Next?". Southern Jewish Weekly. September 11, 1953. p. 148. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ Jones, Carter Brooke (May 17, 1953). "Lifting the Curtain on Malenkov to See What Russia Has in Store". Evening Star. p. 17. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ Faries, Belmont (December 6, 1953). "Books on Foreign Affairs Reflect Easing Tensions". Evening Star. p. 6. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ Ebon, Martin (1937). Einer wie Du und ich : eine Jugend-Erzählung aus unseren Tagen. Verlag Robert Alter. p. 71. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ Ebon, Martin (1937). Heiteres, Besinnliches, Nachdenkliches. Verlag Robert Alter. p. 63. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ Ebon, Martin (1948). World Communism Today. Whittlesey House (a division of McGraw-Hill Book Company). p. 536. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ Ebon, Martin (1948). World Communism Today. Whittlesey House (a division of McGraw-Hill Book Company). p. 536. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ Ebon, Martin (July 1948). "Communist Tactics in Palestine". Middle East Journal. 2 (3). Middle East Institute: 255–269. JSTOR 4321987. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^
Ebon, Martin (1985). "Author: Martin Ebon". Psychic Studies: The Soviet Dilemma. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Ebon, Martin (November 15, 1985). "Letter from Martin Ebon to Joshua Lederberg". NIH NLM. Retrieved August 8, 2021.