George Pendle – Jill Grinberg Literary Management

George Pendle

George Pendle is a journalist and the author of three books: Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons, The Remarkable Millard Fillmore: The Unbelievable Life of a Forgotten President, and Death: A Life. Strange Angel was adapted into a television series on CBS All Access with Ridley Scott executive producing, and has aired its second season. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Sunday Times, the Financial Times, and he previously wrote for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Agent

Jill Grinberg

Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons

The basis for the CBS All Access series from Ridley Scott

ROCKET SCIENTIST KILLED IN PASADENA EXPLOSION screamed the headline of the Los Angeles Times. John Parsons, a maverick rocketeer who helped transform the rocket from a derided sci-fi plot line into a reality, was at first mourned as a scientific prodigy. But reporters soon uncovered a more shocking story: Parsons had been a devotee of black magic.

George Pendle re-creates the world of John Parsons in this dazzling portrait of prewar superstition, Cold War paranoia, and futuristic possibility. Fueled by childhood dreams of space flight, Parsons was a leader of the motley band of enthusiastic young men who founded the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a cornerstone of the American space program. But Parsons’s wild imagination also led him into the occult—for if he could make rocketry a reality, why not magic?

With a cast of characters including Howard Hughes, L. Ron Hubbard, and Robert Heinlein, Strange Angel explores the unruly consequences of genius.

Praise for Strange Angel

“As a history of space travel, Strange Angel is a cornerstone. This is your book if you want to start reading up on the space age. Highly recommended.” –Ray Bradbury

“A riveting tale of rocketry, the occult, and boom-and-bust 1920s and 1930s Los Angeles.” –Booklist, starred review

“Pendle weaves a fascinating yarn . . . he deftly and seemingly effortlessly leads his readers through the technical aspects of Parsons’ work. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to enjoy it.” –The Seattle Times

Publisher

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publication Date

February 6, 2006

Age Category

Adult

Genre

Nonfiction

Rights

JGLM

The Remarkable Millard Fillmore: The Unbelievable Life of a Forgotten President

Millard Fillmore has been mocked, maligned, or, most cruelly of all, ignored by generations of historians—but no more! This unbelievable new biography finally rescues the unlucky thirteenth U.S. president from the dustbin of history and shows why a man known as a blundering, arrogant, shallow, miserable failure was really our greatest leader.

In the first fully researched portrait of Fillmore ever written, the reader can finally come face-to-face with a misunderstood genius. By meticulously extrapolating outrageous conclusions from the most banal and inconclusive of facts, The Remarkable Millard Fillmore reveals the adventures of an unjustly forgotten president. He fought at the Battle of the Alamo! He shepherded slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad! He discovered gold in California! He wrestled with the emperor of Japan! It is a list of achievements that puts those of Washington and Lincoln completely in the shade.

Refusing to be held back by established history or recorded fact, here George Pendle paints an extraordinary portrait of an ordinary man and restores the sparkle to an unfairly tarnished reputation.

Praise for The Remarkable Millard Fillmore

“Using previously unknown sources, Pendle has achieved his goal “to redeem the reputation of a forgotten giant,” and he also succeeds in amusing readers by mixing the historical and the hysterical.” –Publishers Weekly

Publisher

Crown

Publication Date

April 10, 2007

Age Category

Adult

Genre

Nonfiction/Humor

Rights

JGLM

Death: A Life

The shocking new memoir from Death—this long-awaited autobiography finally reveals the inner story of one of the most troubling, and troubled, figures in history.

At last, the mysterious, feared, and misunderstood being known only as “Death” talks frankly and unforgettably about his infinitely awful existence, chronicling his abusive childhood, his near-fatal addiction to Life, his excruciating time in rehab, and the ultimate triumph of his true nature. For the first time, Death reveals his affairs with the living, his maltreatment at the hands of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the ungodly truth behind the infamous “Jesus Incident,” and the loneliness of being the End of All Things.

Intense, unpredictable, and instantly engaging, Death: A Life is not only a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a universe that, despite its profound flaws, gave Death the fiery determination to carve out a successful existence on his own terms.

Praise for Death: A Life

“Pendle’s coruscating wit is a great match for the material, and he makes the most of it.” –Publishers Weekly

Publisher

Crown

Publication Date

September 23, 2008

Age Category

Adult

Genre

Fiction/Humor

Rights

JGLM