Peter Osnos

Osnos was born in India to a Jewish refugee family from Warsaw, Poland.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2002-12-29-0502240485-story.html|title=NINE LIVES|last=Osnos|first=Evan|website=chicagotribune.com|date=29 December 2002 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-21}} He is the son of Joseph Osnos and Marta Osnos, who later settled in New York.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/17/obituaries/marta-osnos-83-dies-researcher-on-cancer.html|title=Marta Osnos, 83, Dies; Researcher on Cancer|date=1990-09-17|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-05-21|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}} Osnos graduated from Brandeis University and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.{{Cite web|url=https://www.brandeis.edu/admissions/after/alumni.html|title=Notable Alumni{{!}} After Brandeis{{!}} Undergraduate Admissions{{!}} Brandeis University|website=www.brandeis.edu|access-date=2019-05-21}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/pr/00/04/jAlumni.html|title=Four Win Columbia University's Highest Journalism Alumni Award|website=www.columbia.edu|access-date=2019-05-21}}

In 1965, Osnos began his journalism career as an editorial assistant to investigative journalist I. F. Stone on his weekly newsletter. From 1966 to 1984, Osnos worked for The Washington Post; he was a foreign correspondent in Vietnam, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom, and he also served as foreign editor and national editor.{{Cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?191684-4/comparing-wars-iraq-vietnam|title=Comparing Wars in Iraq and Vietnam {{!}} C-SPAN.org|website=www.c-span.org|language=en-us|access-date=2019-05-21}} Osnos was a regular commentator for National Public Radio's Morning Edition and co-host of Communiqué.

In 1984, he joined Random House, where he worked until 1996 as a senior editor, vice president, and associate publisher, and as publisher of the Times Books division. In 1997, he founded PublicAffairs. He served as Publisher and CEO until 2005 and, then, as Consulting Editor until December 31, 2020. Authors he has published or edited include Jeff Bezos,{{Cite web |title=A collection of 23 years of Jeff Bezos' writing to be published in November |url=https://fortune.com/2020/06/17/jeff-bezos-book-amazon-ceo-founder-speech-annual-letters/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Fortune |language=en}} former President Jimmy Carter,{{Cite web|url=https://www.cartercenter.org/news/documents/doc226.html|title=President Carter Publishes a Book of Poetry|website=www.cartercenter.org|access-date=2019-05-21}} Rosalynn Carter,{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NagPAAAAQBAJ&dq=rosalyn+carter+peter+osnos&pg=PT8|title=Helping Yourself Help Others: A Book for Caregivers|last1=Carter|first1=Rosalynn|last2=Golant|first2=Susan K.|date=2013-10-01|publisher=PublicAffairs|isbn=9781610393539|language=en}} Sid Caesar, Clark Clifford, former President Bill Clinton,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/07/business/the-media-business-publisher-will-pay-clinton-over-10-million-for-book.html|title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Publisher Will Pay Clinton Over $10 Million for Book|last=Kirkpatrick|first=David D.|date=2001-08-07|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-05-21|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}} Leonard Downie, Jr., Paul Farmer, Earvin (Magic) Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Sam Donaldson, Kenneth Feinberg, Annette Gordon Reed,{{Cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?166960-1/vernon-read-memoir|title=[Vernon Can Read!: A Memoir] {{!}} C-SPAN.org|website=www.c-span.org|language=en-us|access-date=2019-05-21}} Meg Greenfield, Dorothy Height, Don Hewitt, Molly Ivins, Vernon Jordan, Murray Kempton, Wendy Kopp, Charles Krauthammer, Brian Lamb, Jim Lehrer, Scott McClellan,{{Cite web|url=https://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/what_happened_with_what_happen.php|title=What Happened With What Happened|website=Columbia Journalism Review|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21}} Robert McNamara, Charles Morris, Peggy Noonan, William Novak, former President Barack Obama,{{Cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/book-deals/article/72975-obamas-books-to-be-published-by-crown.html|title=Obamas' Books to Be Published By Crown|website=PublishersWeekly.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21}} former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, Charles Peters, Nancy Reagan, Andy Rooney, Morley Safer, Natan Sharansky, George Soros, Susan Swain, former President Donald Trump, Paul Volcker, Juan Williams, James Wolfensohn, former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus.

From 2006 to 2014, he wrote the Platform column for the Century Foundation, which was published by The Daily Beast{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/|title=The Daily Beast|website=The Daily Beast|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21}} and The Atlantic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/author/peter-osnos/|title=Peter Osnos|last=Peter Osnos|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-21}} From 2017 to 2022, his Platform column was published on Medium.{{Cite web|title=Peter Osnos' Platform – Medium|url=https://medium.com/peter-osnos-platform|access-date=2020-12-30|website=Medium}} In January 2022, Osnos launched the newsletter Peter Osnos Platform.{{Cite web |last=Osnos |first=Peter L. W. |date=2023-11-20 |title=Peter Osnos PLATFORM {{!}} Substack |url=https://peterosnos.substack.com/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=peterosnos.substack.com |language=en}}

His memoir An Especially Good View: Watching History Happen was published in 2021. He was the editor of a book of biographical essays, titled George Soros: A Life in Full, published in March 2022.{{Cite web |title=George Soros: A Life in Full ^ 10538 |url=https://store.hbr.org/product/george-soros-a-life-in-full/10538 |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=HBR Store |language=en}} In March 2023, he published Would You Believe...The Helsinki Accords Changed the World?: Advancing Human Rights and, for Decades, Security in Europe, with Holly Cartner. A forthcoming book, LBJ and McNamara: The Vietnam Partnership Destined to Fail, adapted from an 18-part series Osnos published on Platform, is set to be published in November 2024 by Rivertowns Books.{{Cite web |title=Rivertowns to Publish New Book by Peter Osnos |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief/index.html?record=4988 |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=PublishersWeekly.com |language=en}} The audiobook, augmented with original recordings, will be produced by Simon & Schuster in January 2025.

He has served on the board of directors of Human Rights Watch,{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/about/people/peter-lw-osnos|title=Peter L.W. Osnos|date=2014-09-20|website=Human Rights Watch|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21}} and, from 2005 to 2009, he was executive director of The Caravan Project, a non-profit organization that supported the simultaneous publishing of books in audio, digital, and print formats.{{Cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20070326/14338-the-caravan-project-rolls.html|title=The Caravan Project Rolls|website=PublishersWeekly.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21}} He was Vice-Chairman of the Columbia Journalism Review from 2007 to 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/cjrs_new_board.php|title=CJR's New Board of Overseers|website=Columbia Journalism Review|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21}} In 2020, he and his wife Susan co-founded Platform Books LLC.{{Cite web|title=Axios AM - Axios AM: Mike's Top 10 — Biden's Day 1 — Scoop: Trump eyes digital empire to "wreck Fox" — 🍂 Augusta in autumn|url=https://newsletry.com/Home/Axios%20AM/08351179-bdad-475a-b829-08d88706a86e|access-date=2020-12-30|website=Newsletry|language=en}}

Osnos lives in New York City with his wife Susan Sherer Osnos, who is chair of the board of the Center for Civilians in Conflict.{{Cite web|url=https://civiliansinconflict.org/dt_team/susan-osnos/|title=Susan Osnos, Chair of the Board|website=Center for Civilians in Conflict|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-21}} She is a daughter of diplomat Albert W. Sherer Jr.{{Cite web|last= |first= |authorlink= |title= Albert Sherer Jr., Helsinki Negotiator |publisher=Chicago Tribune|date=December 29, 1986 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-12-29-8604070101-story.html |accessdate=}} He has two children: Katherine Osnos Sanford and journalist Evan Osnos; and five grandchildren.

• An Especially Good View: Watching History Happen, Platform Books, 2021. {{ISBN|9781735996806}} {{Cite web|last=Sycamore|first=Mattilda Bernstein|title=Shelf Awareness for Thursday, November 12, 2020|url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3865|access-date=2020-12-30|website=www.shelf-awareness.com}}
• George Soros: A Life in Full, 2022. Harvard Business Review Press/Platform Books. {{ISBN|978-1647822798}}
• Would You Believe...The Helsinki Accords Changed the World?: Advancing Human Rights and, for Decades, Security in Europe, Platform Books, 2023. {{ISBN|978-1735996899}} {{Cite book |last1=Osnos |first1=Peter L. W. |title=Would You Believe...The Helsinki Accords Changed the World?: Human Rights and, for Decades, Security in Europe |last2=Cartner |first2=Holly |date=2023-03-22 |publisher=Platform Books, LLC |isbn=978-1-7359968-9-9 |location=New York |language=English}}

{{reflist}}

• {{C-SPAN|36886}}
• [https://anespeciallygoodview.com/a-virtual-attic/ A Virtual Attic]
• https://platformbooksllc.net/

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Category:Living people

Category:American male journalists

Category:American people of Polish-Jewish descent

Category:Jewish American journalists

Category:1944 births

Category:Brandeis University alumni

Category:Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni