Alice Mayhew
Alice E. Mayhew | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 June 1932 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | 4 February 2020 (aged 87) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Book editor, publishing executive |
| Years active | Mid-1970s–2020 |
| Known for | Vice president and editorial director at Simon & Schuster; editing All the President's Men and other notable political nonfiction works |
Alice E. Mayhew (June 14, 1932 – February 4, 2020) was a distinguished American editor who held the positions of vice president and editorial director at Simon & Schuster. Throughout her career, she worked with renowned figures such as Bob Woodward, Jimmy Carter, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David Brooks, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Mayhew played a key role in advancing the political narrative genre, notably through editing influential works like All the President's Men by Woodward and Bernstein, a form of creative nonfiction centered on political events in Washington, D.C.
Life and career
Mayhew was born in 1932 in Brooklyn, New York City, and spent her formative years in the Bronx. By the mid-1970s, she had joined Simon & Schuster, where she edited numerous books that shaped public conversations across the administrations of seven U.S. presidents. She became known for molding narrative nonfiction with a focus on historical and political subjects, contributing significantly to Simon & Schuster’s reputation as a leading publishing house.
Her editorial prominence emerged with the 1974 release of All the President's Men, a title acquired by Richard E. Snyder and refined under Mayhew’s guidance. This work’s emphasis on investigative reporting rather than solely on the Watergate scandal revolutionized American publishing and played a part in President Nixon’s resignation.
Mayhew enjoyed a longstanding collaboration with Bob Woodward, having edited 19 of his books over nearly five decades. Their partnership continued with the 2008 publication of The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006–2008. In 2018, she was credited in Woodward’s bestseller Fear: Trump in the White House, which achieved one million sales during its opening week—marking Simon & Schuster’s fastest-selling launch.
Attorney Robert Barnett highlighted Mayhew’s talent for converting contemporary events into engaging books that offered new perspectives beyond daily news coverage. Writers valued her detailed narrative craftsmanship and deep thematic understanding. However, towards the latter part of her career, Mayhew faced scrutiny for delegating editorial responsibilities amid plagiarism controversies involving authors such as Doris Kearns Goodwin and Stephen Ambrose. She was also criticized for releasing popular historical works that lacked extensive sourcing.
In celebration of Simon & Schuster’s 90th anniversary in 2014, staff members selected favorite titles from the publisher’s history; Mayhew had edited 29 of these notable works, including Our Bodies, Our Selves.
Known for her small stature and distinctive raspy voice, Mayhew earned respect for her formidable demeanor and editorial precision. She passed away at her residence in Manhattan on February 4, 2020, at age 87.