Elected a “Living Landmark” (by the New York Landmark Conservancy and its affiliates), awarded the Order of Merit by the Republic of Poland, elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, writer Barbara Goldsmith enjoys a notable career as a master of a subtle yet stunning combination of history and biography. Through exhaustive research, her real people function in their own time and environment. Goldsmith’s much imitated innovative approach is enlightening. In her books, her main characters serve as a locomotive that pulls the train of history to form a gripping narrative.
Goldsmith has consistently examined the vast disparity between image and reality. Her clear vision illuminates both the valuable and the meretricious aspects of our society. With a fresh view she reminds us of the delights in life, but also she has become one of our foremost commentators on the idols and subcultures– the political, financial, legal, celebrity and artistic establishments–