Frederic Morton facts for kids
Frederic Morton (born October 5, 1924 – died April 20, 2015) was a famous writer. He was born in Austria but later became an American citizen.
Contents
Life
Frederic Morton was born Fritz Mandelbaum in Vienna, Austria. His father was a blacksmith who made special medals for the emperor.
In 1938, a big change happened in Austria called the Anschluss. This was when Nazi Germany took over Austria. Because of this, Frederic's father was arrested, but luckily, he was later set free.
The family had to leave Austria for their safety. They went to Britain in 1939. The next year, they moved to New York City in the United States. To help his family, Frederic's father changed their last name to Morton. This was so he could join a labor union (a group that helps workers) that did not like Jewish people at the time.
Frederic Morton worked as a baker for a while. But he loved books and started studying literature in 1949. In 1962, he went back to Austria to marry his fiancée, Marcia. They had met when they were in college.
From 1959, Morton wrote articles for many American magazines and newspapers. Some of these included The New York Times and Esquire. He passed away in Vienna on April 20, 2015, when he was 90 years old.
Selected Works
Frederic Morton wrote many books, including novels and non-fiction works. Here are some of his well-known books:
- The Hound (1947)
- Asphalt and Desire (1952) – a novel
- The Witching Ship (1960) – a novel
- The Rothschilds: A Family Portrait (1962) – about the famous Rothschild family
- The Schatten Affair (1965) – a novel
- Snow Gods (1968) – a novel
- An Unknown Woman (1976) – a novel
- A Nervous Splendor: Vienna, 1888–1889 (1979) – about Vienna in the late 1800s
- The Forever Street (1984) – a novel
- Chocolate: An Illustrated History (1986) – written with his wife Marcia
- Crosstown Sabbath: A Street Journey Through History (1987)
- Thunder at Twilight: Vienna 1913-1914 (1989) – about Vienna just before World War I
- Runaway Waltz (2005) – his memoir (a book about his own life)
Awards and Honors
Frederic Morton received several awards for his writing and contributions:
- 1963: Author of the Year from the Anti-Defamation League
- 1980: Given the special title of "Professor"
- 2001: Awarded the Gold Medal of Vienna
- 2003: Received the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class
See also
- In Spanish: Frederic Morton para niños
