Overview
I have written and ghostwritten more than 20 books. My clients include:
JP Morgan Chase (corporate history)
Kohler Co. (corporate history)
The New York Stock Exchange (corporate history)
Winton M. "Red" Blount (autobiography)
Menasha Corporation (family and company history)
Central National-Gottesman (family and company history)
Federal Paper Board Company (family and company history)
Researching, writing and publishing a book is a memorable achievement for any company, family or individual. The best books have a point of view and combine people, facts, dates and anecdotes in a lively narrative; contain an array of photographs and other illustrations where appropriate; and are read, enjoyed and treasured by those who buy or receive them – not just put on a shelf and forgotten.
As attention spans shorten, good writing that engages readers is more important than ever. I love the challenge of working with a client to tell its (or his or her) story in an interesting and informative way.
My work is research-intensive. I typically interview 20 to 50 people or more (senior management, retirees, family members, others) and also conduct detailed newspaper and magazine research before I begin writing. I also draw on any archives the client might have. The goal is to find all the relevant information necessary to write a book that meets the client's objectives and captures the attention of the reader.
A sampling of my books includes:
The American Club: A Centennial History (CorporateHistory.net, 2016) – The story of one of the world’s most unusual nonprofit insurance companies, the American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (known in the maritime world as “The American Club”), which provides liability coverage for oceangoing ships. All About Shipping, a maritime-industry news service, called the book “masterly” and said “every page crackles with fresh aspects of marine and social history.”
The Joy of Wine: The Story of the Opici Family (Self-published by the company, 2016) – The history of the Opici Group, a national distributor of wine and spirits, and its owners, the Opici family.
The History of JPMorgan Chase (Self-published by the bank, 2012) – The story of the bank and its many predecessor organizations, dating back to the founding of The Manhattan Company by Aaron Burr in 1799.
Our Family Tree: The Towers Watson Story (CorporateHistory.net, 2012) – The history of professional-services company Towers Watson and its predecessor firms. The book won a 2012 APEX Award of Excellence from Communications Concepts, Inc., based on excellence in editorial content and graphic design.
The Graybar Story (Greenwich Publishing Group, 2009) – The history of electrical-products distributor Graybar Electric. In 2010, the book was one of eight winners of a prestigious Grand Magnum Opus Award from the University of Missouri School of Journalism/ContentWise for excellence in corporate communications.
A Sense of Higher Design: The Kohlers of Kohler (Greenwich Publishing Group, 2003) – The story of plumbing-products manufacturer Kohler Co., the Kohler family and the Village of Kohler, Wisconsin.
Doing It My Way (Greenwich Publishing Group, 1996) – The autobiography of Winton “Red” Blount, CEO of construction firm Blount International, Alabama philanthropist and U.S. Postmaster General from 1969 to 1972. The Montgomery Independent, one of the state’s leading newspapers, described the book as “highly readable” and said “the force of Mr. Blount’s personality comes through on every page.”
The New York Stock Exchange: The First 200 Years (Greenwich Publishing Group, 1992) – The history of the NYSE. I also wrote a revised and updated edition, The New York Stock Exchange: Another Century, published in 1999.
JP Morgan Chase (corporate history)
Kohler Co. (corporate history)
The New York Stock Exchange (corporate history)
Winton M. "Red" Blount (autobiography)
Menasha Corporation (family and company history)
Central National-Gottesman (family and company history)
Federal Paper Board Company (family and company history)
Researching, writing and publishing a book is a memorable achievement for any company, family or individual. The best books have a point of view and combine people, facts, dates and anecdotes in a lively narrative; contain an array of photographs and other illustrations where appropriate; and are read, enjoyed and treasured by those who buy or receive them – not just put on a shelf and forgotten.
As attention spans shorten, good writing that engages readers is more important than ever. I love the challenge of working with a client to tell its (or his or her) story in an interesting and informative way.
My work is research-intensive. I typically interview 20 to 50 people or more (senior management, retirees, family members, others) and also conduct detailed newspaper and magazine research before I begin writing. I also draw on any archives the client might have. The goal is to find all the relevant information necessary to write a book that meets the client's objectives and captures the attention of the reader.
A sampling of my books includes:
The American Club: A Centennial History (CorporateHistory.net, 2016) – The story of one of the world’s most unusual nonprofit insurance companies, the American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (known in the maritime world as “The American Club”), which provides liability coverage for oceangoing ships. All About Shipping, a maritime-industry news service, called the book “masterly” and said “every page crackles with fresh aspects of marine and social history.”
The Joy of Wine: The Story of the Opici Family (Self-published by the company, 2016) – The history of the Opici Group, a national distributor of wine and spirits, and its owners, the Opici family.
The History of JPMorgan Chase (Self-published by the bank, 2012) – The story of the bank and its many predecessor organizations, dating back to the founding of The Manhattan Company by Aaron Burr in 1799.
Our Family Tree: The Towers Watson Story (CorporateHistory.net, 2012) – The history of professional-services company Towers Watson and its predecessor firms. The book won a 2012 APEX Award of Excellence from Communications Concepts, Inc., based on excellence in editorial content and graphic design.
The Graybar Story (Greenwich Publishing Group, 2009) – The history of electrical-products distributor Graybar Electric. In 2010, the book was one of eight winners of a prestigious Grand Magnum Opus Award from the University of Missouri School of Journalism/ContentWise for excellence in corporate communications.
A Sense of Higher Design: The Kohlers of Kohler (Greenwich Publishing Group, 2003) – The story of plumbing-products manufacturer Kohler Co., the Kohler family and the Village of Kohler, Wisconsin.
Doing It My Way (Greenwich Publishing Group, 1996) – The autobiography of Winton “Red” Blount, CEO of construction firm Blount International, Alabama philanthropist and U.S. Postmaster General from 1969 to 1972. The Montgomery Independent, one of the state’s leading newspapers, described the book as “highly readable” and said “the force of Mr. Blount’s personality comes through on every page.”
The New York Stock Exchange: The First 200 Years (Greenwich Publishing Group, 1992) – The history of the NYSE. I also wrote a revised and updated edition, The New York Stock Exchange: Another Century, published in 1999.
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Management
History
Languages
English (US)
Work experience
Self employed
Jan, 1990 —
Present
Former reporter, The Wall Street Journal
Former writer, BusinessWeek
Former contributing editor and monthly columnist, McCall’s
B.A., Middlebury College
I have been a full-time freelance writer for more than 25 years. In addition to writing and ghostwriting company and family history books, I have written several trade books on finance and art.
Portfolio
Lavishly illustrated history of one of the nation's most important financial institution. A self-promotion, published by the Exchange, it is particularly enlightening in its analysis of the Crash of '29, and the Sell-Off of '87, demonstrating the market's inse... read more
Book by Blount, Winton M
Experience the 130-year history of the Kohler family and its pioneering spirit in founding one of the oldest and largest privately held companies in the United States.
