Justin Martin is currently writing a biography of Frederick Law Olmsted, pioneering landscape architect of Central Park and 50 other green spaces around the U.S., Civil War hero, fervent abolitionist, crusading journalist and founder of the Nation magazine. The book is forthcoming from Da Capo Press (A Merloyd Lawrence Book). To research this biography, Martin is traveling to a number of sites around the country. See Martin’s posts on Olmsted and his various masterpieces.
Martin has previously written two biographies, Greenspan: The Man Behind Money (Perseus Publishing, 2000) and Nader: Crusader, Spoiler, Icon (Basic, 2002). The books were reviewed widely and well, getting raves in publications including the Washington Post, Miami Herald, and Vanity Fair. Martin’s bestselling Greenspan bio was chosen as a notable book by the New York Times Book Review.
Martin is a former staff writer at Fortune magazine. His articles have appeared in a variety of publications including Newsweek, Money, and the San Francisco Chronicle. To discuss his various books and articles, Martin has made a number of national media appearances including NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, CBS Sunday Morning, CNBC Power Lunch, and assorted NPR affiliates.
Martin is a 1987 graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas. He was married in Central Park, Olmsted’s masterpiece. He lives with his wife and twin sons in Forest Hills Gardens, a neighborhood designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.