George Jonas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Jonas
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Jonas in a 2008 interview
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| Born | June 15, 1935 Budapest, Hungary |
| Died | January 10, 2016 (aged 80) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Writer, producer and columnist |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Notable works | By Persons Unknown (1977), Vengeance (1984) |
| Notable awards | 1978 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Fact Crime book Member Order of Canada |
| Spouse |
Sylvia Nemes
(m. 1960; div. 1969)Barbara Amiel
(m. 1974; div. 1979)Maya Cho
(m. 1986) |
| Children | Alexander Jonas (with Sylvia Nemes) b. 1964 |
George Jonas (June 15, 1935 – January 10, 2016) was a talented writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in Hungary but became a Canadian citizen. George Jonas wrote 16 books during his career. One of his most famous books was Vengeance (1984). This book tells the story of an Israeli mission. The mission aimed to find those responsible for the 1972 Munich massacre. His book was so popular that it was made into two movies: Sword of Gideon (1986) and Munich (2005).
Contents
Early Life and Family
George Jonas was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1935. His father, Dr. Georg M. Hübsch, was a lawyer and composer. His mother was Magda Hübsch. George went to the Lutheran Gymnasium school from 1945 to 1954.
Family Life
George Jonas married Sylvia Nemes in New York in 1960. Their son, Alexander, was born in 1964 in Toronto, Canada. They later separated in 1968.
He married Barbara Amiel in 1974. They divorced in 1979. His third marriage was to Maya Cho, who was born in Korea.
Writing Career
George Jonas was a very busy writer. He wrote for many different newspapers and magazines. These included the National Review, Saturday Review, and The Wall Street Journal. He also wrote for The Daily Telegraph in London.
He co-wrote a book called By Persons Unknown: The Strange Death of Christine Demeter (1976). This book was about a real-life murder case. It won the 1978 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime book. This is a very important award for crime writing.
Professional Journey
After finishing school, George Jonas worked at Radio Budapest. He was a program director there. In 1956, he moved to Canada after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
He started working as a freelance journalist. In 1962, he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He worked there for 34 years as an editor and producer. He was well-known for producing a true crime series. It was called The Scales of Justice. He worked on this show with the famous lawyer Edward Greenspan.
George Jonas also wrote columns for newspapers. He wrote for the Toronto Sun from 1981 to 2001. Then he moved to the National Post. He continued writing for the National Post until he passed away. In total, he wrote 16 books, one play, and two operas.
The Book Vengeance
His 1984 book Vengeance became a huge bestseller. It was published in 21 different versions and 13 languages. The book describes the events of the Israeli Operation Wrath of God. This operation was a response to the murder of Israeli athletes. These athletes were killed by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
The book was made into two films. The first was a TV movie called Sword of Gideon (1986). Later, it became a major movie called Munich (2005). This film was directed by Steven Spielberg.
George Jonas wrote an article in Maclean's magazine in 2006. He explained how his book was developed. He also shared his thoughts on the movie Munich. He felt the movie suggested that terrorism and fighting terrorism were similar. He believed this idea was different from what his book intended.
He also discussed how he got his information for the book. His main source claimed to be a leader of a Mossad team. George Jonas said it was hard to confirm such secret details. But he did a lot of research. He confirmed many details about the places his source mentioned.
Later Life and Passing
George Jonas passed away on January 10, 2016. He was 80 years old. He had been living with Parkinson's disease for many years.
Published Works
George Jonas wrote many different types of books:
- The Absolute Smile, 1967 (poems)
- The Happy Hungry Man, 1970 (poems)
- Cities, 1973 (poems)
- By Persons Unknown: The Strange Death of Christine Demeter co-written with Barbara Amiel, 1977
- Final Decree, 1981 (novel)
- The Scales of Justice: Seven Famous Criminal Cases Recreated, 1983
- Vengeance, 1984
- Foreword for In the Name of the Working Class written by Sándor Kopácsi, 1986
- The Scales of Justice: Volume II, 1986
- Greenspan: The Case for the Defense, 1987 (biography)
- Crocodiles in the Bathtub and Other Perils, 1987 (articles 1977–87)
- A Passion Observed: A True Story of a Motorcycle Racer, 1989 (biography)
- Politically Incorrect: Notes on Liberty, Censorship, Social Engineering, Feminism, Apologists and other Topics of our Times, 1991
- The East Wind Blows West, 1993 (poems)
- Beethoven's Mask: Notes On My Life and Times, 2005 (autobiography)
- Reflections on Islam: Ideas, Opinions, Arguments, 2007
- The Jonas Variations: A Literary Séance, 2011 (poetry translations)
Awards and Recognition
George Jonas received many awards for his work.
- In 2013, he became a Member of the Order of Canada. This is a high honor given to Canadians. It recognized his important contributions as an author and journalist.
- In 2012, he received The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. This award was for his contributions to Canada.
- He also won the Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1978.
- He received two Nelly Awards for Best Radio Program.
- He won three Canadian National Magazine Awards.
- He also won two Gemini Awards for TV productions.
