Queen Bess
An Unauthorized Biography of Bess Myerson
-
- $16.99
Publisher Description
This "fascinating" biography details the rise of the first Jewish Miss America, TV star, and political player—and the scandal that toppled her career (The New York Times).
When Bess Myerson, the Bronx-born daughter of Jewish immigrants, was crowned Miss America in 1945, she was determined to break down gender barriers and be more than a beauty queen. Amid rampant anti-Semitism, she took advantage of her reign to call for an end to bigotry and hate. Then, after more than two decades as a glamorous television personality, Myerson took on corporate America, applying her celebrity as a consumer advocate to become an influential New York City political figure credited with helping elect Mayor Edward I. Koch. But behind the glittering public image, Myerson struggled with unhappy marriages. Then, in her early sixties, she found love with a much younger married man. The romance put her at the center of a political corruption scandal that led to federal charges brought by US Attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani, ending the reign of Queen Bess, New York's favorite daughter, after more than forty years.
Award-winning investigative journalist Jennifer Preston reveals Myerson's fascinating life story in this engaging biography. Featuring interviews with Myerson herself and a new introduction from the author, Queen Bess remains the most comprehensive account of this ambitious and talented woman who inspired, entertained, and shocked millions.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The first Jewish Miss America (1945), TV celebrity and New York City's Consumer Affairs commissioner under Mayor John Lindsay, Bess Myerson became commissioner of Cultural Affairs during the terms of Mayor Edward Koch, when she also served as the city's unofficial First Lady. In this engrossing, detailed and empathetic portrait, former Newsday reporter Preston depicts Myerson as brilliant and charming, but unpredictable and at times ruthless, her accomplishments marred by disastrous marriages and love affairs. Her downfall resulted from an attempt on behalf of a lover to bribe the state superior judge presiding over his divorce. Although she was acquitted of conspiracy charges, the scandal cut short her career. Photos not seen by PW.
