Edward J. Renehan Jr.
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Call me Ed.
I'm the author of books that include Commodore: The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt (Basic Books, 2007), Dark Genius of Wall Street: The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould, King of the Robber Barons (Basic Books, 2005), The Kennedys at War (Doubleday, 2002), The Secret Six (Crown, 1995) and John Burroughs: An American Naturalist (Black Dome Press, 1992), and the much-commented e-book Mere Faith: Five Brief Meditations (2008). Several chapters of The Kennedys at War have been purchased for film adaptation by Robert Greenwald Productions.
I'm as well a folk-blues guitarist and singer. During my youth I recorded with Pete Seeger for Folkways Records, now Smithsonian Folkways. I have also performed with Don McLean, Happy and Artie Traum, and numerous other artists. I was literally a kid when I studied with the great Gary Davis. My gigs have included The Turning Point, Caffe Lena, Club Passim, and various folk festivals across the Northeast. Click here to listen.
I've written for a range of national publications including The San Francisco Chronicle, The Wall Street Journal, Veranda Magazine, and American Heritage. And I've had an extensive career in computer publishing.
I am active in PEN American Center, the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater (former member of the board), the Electronic Frontier Froundation, the Long Now Foundation (charter member), and several other organizations.
A number of my books are available as unexpurgated audio editions from Recorded Books.
Terrain: I live in southern coastal Rhode Island with my wife and two children. We moved from the New York metro area in 1994.
I am under treatment for manic depression (aka, bipolar disorder), diagnosed in late 2007. I mention the bipolar issue because I approve of the movement of sufferers who are "outing" themselves, discussing the disorder publicly, and thus working to remove the stigma that surrounds it.
If you'd like, you can check my random collection of pics (friends, family, etc.) on Flickr.
Selected reviews ....
“[A] fascinating biography.” - The Wall Street Journal, commenting on Commodore
" ... a fresh, evocative take on the Gilded Age and its brutal brand of business." - Barron's, commenting on Dark Genius of Wall Street
“A thorough and lively history of America’s first family during WWII.” - Kirkus Reviews, commenting on The Kennedys at War
“A spellbinding study in revolution from the top down — gaslit opulence with tense whispers from the sidelines.” - The Sunday New York Times Book Review, commenting on The Secret Six
“[Renehan reveals] a far more complex and interesting man than other biographers have described." - The Sunday New York Times Book Review, commenting on John Burroughs
