ISRAEL, Peter 1933-

PERSONAL: Born August 1, 1933, in New York, NY; son of J. Leon (an attorney) and Ruth L. Israel; married Peg Streep (an author), March 28, 1982; children: Elie, Alexandra. Education: Yale University, B.A., 1954.

ADDRESSES: Agent—Georges Borchardt, Inc., 136 East 57th St., New York, NY 10022.

CAREER: G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, NY, began as editor, became editor in chief, 1959-65; Editions Albin Michel, Paris, France, director of foreign service, 1973-77; Putnam Publishing Group, New York, NY, president, 1978-86, chairman of board of directors, 1986-87; Peter Israel Enterprises, Montclair, NJ, book packager, 1988—.

MEMBER: Association of American Publishers (past director), Mystery Writers of America.

WRITINGS:

MYSTERY NOVELS

The Hen's House, Putnam (New York, NY), 1967.

Hush Money, Crowell (New York, NY), 1974.

The French Kiss, Crowell (New York, NY), 1976.

The Stiff Upper Lip, Crowell (New York, NY), 1978.

I'll Cry when I Kill You, Mysterious Press (New York, NY), 1988.

If I Should Die before I Die, Mysterious Press (New York, NY), 1989.

OTHER

(With Peg Streep) The Kids' World Almanac Rhyming Dictionary: A Guide for Young Poets and Songwriters, World Almanac (New York, NY), 1991.

(With Stephen Jones) Others Unknown: The Oklahoma City Bombing Case and Conspiracy, Public Affairs (New York, NY), 1998.

(With Arthur L. Liman) Lawyer: A Life of Counsel and Controversy, Public Affairs (New York, NY), 1998.

(With Kay Koplovitz) Bold Women, Big Ideas: Learning to Play the High-Risk Entrepreneurial Game, Public Affairs (New York, NY), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Peter Israel has written six mystery novels, but it is his nonfiction books that have gained the interest of critics. He first collaborated with his wife, Peg Streep, on a book for children, The Kids' World Almanac Rhyming Dictionary: A Guide for Young Poets and Songwriters. Then, seven years later, he coauthored a dramatically different book, Others Unknown: The Oklahoma City Bombing Case and Conspiracy, with Stephen Jones, Timothy McVeigh's chief defense counsel. McVeigh was tried for the 1995 bombing of the federal office building in Oklahoma City, which killed 168 people. Jones, however, believes that McVeigh was charged unfairly; and Israel helped Jones put together his thoughts about that trial. Jones believes McVeigh's trial was hindered by the judge, the government, the press, and a public audience that demanded swift justice. Library Journal's Philip Young Blue, after reading the story, predicted that Israel's book was "bound to raise eyebrows"; while a Publishers Weekly reviewer went a step further, concluding that the book "does raise troubling questions." According to Jones, there was evidence which might have demonstrated that McVeigh was just a small member of a much larger group of terrorists, but that evidence was not allowed in the trial. He even claims there was a link between coconspirator Terry Nichols and Ramzi Yousef, a man indicted in the first New York World Trade Center bombing. Commenting on the book, Newsweek's Peter Annin wrote, "Jones would have us believe that the case never got out of the shadows—that the country is still in the dark about what really happened on April 19, 1995."

The same year Israel collaborated with yet another lawyer, Arthur L. Liman, to write Lawyer: A Life of Counsel and Controversy, which Library Journal's Philip Young Blue called, "an excellent book for both practicing attorneys and law students." With Israel's help, Liman recounts many of his high-profile cases, which include the investigation of Oliver North during the Iran-Contra Senate hearings in 1987 and the defense of Wall Street's notorious trader, Michael Milken. In the Iran-Contra hearings, Liman states, North caught the public's imagination and stole the show. Then when Limen defended Milken, Limen was publicly criticized because the media had demonized Milken. Through his stories about his cases, Liman demonstrates the power of public opinion but appeals to his fellow attorneys and all potential lawyers to stick to the principles of law and not allow public sentiment to sway them.

More recently, Israel switched from courtrooms to business offices when he worked with Kay Koplovitz on the book Bold Women, Big Ideas: Learning to Play the High-Risk Entrepreneurial Game. Koplovitz is a master when it comes to the entrepreneurial world, as she founded the cable television franchise, USA Networks. She also later put together a nonprofit organization to help pool venture capital, which would be granted to women who want to start up their own businesses. Springboard, as the organization is called, filled a big gap for entrepreneurial women, who previously had very few places they could turn to for financial support. Her book, with Israel's help, presents not only tips on how to create such essential tools as a clear business plan but it also offers inspiration. Library Journal's Susan C. Awe found the book very businesslike but written with "glimmers of humor," through which, Awe believed, female entrepreneurs would learn and appreciate "how business works in today's economy." To do this, noted Joni Evans in Publishers Weekly, Koplovitz "offers readers a look into the psyche of today's venture capitalists and shares the business stories of other women."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, October 1, 1998, Philip Young Blue, review of Lawyer: A Life of Counsel and Controversy, pp. 115-116; December 1998, Philip Young Blue, review of Others Unknown: The Oklahoma City Bombing Case and Conspiracy, p. 130; April 15, 2002, Susan C. Awe, review of Bold Women, Big Ideas: Learning to Play the High-Risk Entrepreneurial Game, pp. 100-101.

Newsweek, October 12, 1998, Peter Annin, "A Question of Conspiracy," p. 48.

Publishers Weekly, October 26, 1998, review of Others Unknown: The Oklahoma City Bombing Case and Conspiracy, p. 54; April 8, 2002, Joni Evans, review of Bold Women, Big Ideas: Learning to Play the High-Risk Entrepreneurial Game, p. 217.

Tribune Books, March 27, 1988.*