James Brady
James Winston Brady, born in 1928 in Brooklyn, New York, was a distinguished journalist, editor, and author known for his thorough and evocative writing. He began his career as a copywriter at Macy's before advancing to significant editorial roles, including publisher of Women's Wear Daily and editor-in-chief of multiple publications such as Harper's Bazaar and New York Magazine. A veteran of the Korean War, Brady served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and was awarded the Bronze Star for valor. His literary contributions include the acclaimed memoir "The Coldest War: A Memoir of Korea" and a series of novels set in the Hamptons, reflecting both his personal experiences and broader themes of life and conflict. Recognized for his impactful storytelling and the clarity of his prose, Brady received several accolades, including an Emmy Award and the W. Y. Boyd Literary Novel Award. His work often explores the complexities of war and the human experience, making him a respected figure in American literature and journalism.
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James Brady
Writer
- Born: November 15, 1928
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
- Died: January 26, 2009
Biography
James Winston Brady was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1928, the son of shipping freight solicitor James Thomas Brady and Marguerite Winston Brady. He received a B.A. in English from Manhattan College in 1950 and attended New York University for one year (1953-1954). He married Florence Kelly in 1958.
Brady began his illustrious career by working at Macy’s department store as a copywriter in 1950; for Fairchild Publications, Inc., in New York City; and as the Washington, D.C., correspondent between 1953 and 1958, before becoming the bureau chief in London in 1958 and Paris between 1960 and 1964. After this, he served in a long series of jobs, including publisher of Women’s Wear Daily, vice president of Capital Cities Broadcasting Corporation, vice president of Hearst Corporation, publisher and editor of Harper’s Bazaar, editor-in-chief of the National Star, editor of New York Magazine, and news commentator at WCBS-TV.
Brady served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve after active duty during the Korean War, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star for valor. Although Brady experienced a brilliant career as a journalist, editor, commentator, and administrator, he also wrote an acclaimed memoir titled The Coldest War: A Memoir of Korea in 1990, which was very well received by critics. Ten years later, he published The Marines of Autumn: A Novel of the Korean War. In it, Captain Thomas Verity (whose name suggests “truth”) picks up live hand grenades just flung at his men by the Chinese Communists and tosses them back. In 1950, a group of Marines are sent by Douglas MacArthur to Chosin, where they suffer conditions so severe that they must claw their way back. Brady holds nothing back. All the horrors of war are practically written in blood. As one critic wrote, The Coldest War “is a model of historical and moral accuracy.”
In 1997, Brady began a series of novels that concern the upscale lifestyle of the Hamptons on New York’s Long Island: Further Lane: A Novel of the Hamptons (1997), Gin Lane: A Novel of Southampton (1998), The House That Ate the Hamptons: A Novel of Lily Pond Lane (1999), and A Hamptons Christmas (2000). His 1981 The Press Lord provides a detailed view inside the world of New York ’s newspaper industry. The protagonist Campbell Haig owns a group of popular newspapers. After he rescues a New York daily newspaper, he finds he must fight an opposing publication.
Brady received an Emmy Award in 1973 and the 2003 W. Y. Boyd Literary Novel Award for Warning of War: The Marines of North China. Brady is highly regarded for his highly moving, clear and colorful writing style and his hopeful messages in a dark world.