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About Marvin J. Wolf
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About Marvin J. Wolf, Award Winning Author and Photojournalist
Marvin J. (for Jules) Wolf flunked an LAPD Internal Affairs polygraph administered in a cramped, stuffy Parker Center room with puke-green walls, and was once arrested by Hermosa Beach's chief of police for selling encyclopedias. He's worked as a Farmer's Market pearl diver, sold cameras, served as an Army drill sergeant, taught hand-to-hand combat at the Ranger School, and while serving as a First Cavalry Division combat correspondent, walked away from three helicopter crashes, earned a Bronze Star, an Air Medal, a Purple Heart, a battlefield commission and later commanded a signal company. Oh, and he's written hundreds of magazine articles and more than 20 books, including best-sellers Fallen Angels, and Where White Men Fear to Tread.
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Wolf didn't start out to be an author. His writing career arose from his work as a U.S. Army combat photographer in Vietnam. Assigned to a public information section, he was pressed into service as an escort for Nobel laureate John Steinbeck, who helped him see that writing was an important adjunct to his photography. In Vietnam he worked for Charles Siler, "one of the finest officers ever to serve his country," and "had the great good fortune to meet and become friends with some of the world's greatest reporters and photographers, including Joe Galloway, Morley Safer, Peter Arnett, Henry Huet, Kyōichi Sawada, Nick Ut, Eddie Adams, and many others. These men were generous with their time and wisdom and helped put me on the path to becoming a writer."
As he made the transition from magazine writing to longer forms, Wolf was encouraged to specialize but discovered that he was interested in so many things it was impossible to choose only one. Instead Wolf became a frequent collaborator on a variety of topics, and was pleased to be called upon by such notables as Native American leader Russell Means and former South Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky to work with them on their autobiographies. In 2016 Wolf collaborated with decorated Green Beret William Albracht on the award winning book Abandoned In Hell. Most recently, Wolf is very pleased to have worked as co-author with his early idol Joseph Galloway -- co-author of best selling New York Times book, We Were Soldiers Once, and Young -- on They Were Soldiers: The Sacrifices and Contributions of Our Vietnam Veterans. (Available now.) Sadly, the world lost Mr. Galloway in August, 2021. Wolf wrote a tribute to his decades long friend. You can read it here.
Over time, Wolf's also ghosted two award-winning sci-fi novels and a professor's popular science book. He entered the world of film and television by selling a few screenplays, and in 2005 his script "Ladies Night," based on his own short story, aired on USA Network. He's got quite a few more available for development, and some that readers can buy online. He's also performed in front of the camera, as a stuntman and actor, and behind the camera as a producer and consultant.
Wolf's now also turning his attention to reviewing the gazillion photographs he's taken over the years, and is creating volumes of coffee table collectibles on a variety of themes. Most are available as eBooks as well; eBook aficionados will find that some are only available in electronic form.
Fans of Wolf's fiction—in a mystery series which debuted with For Whom The Shofar Blows—will be happy to know the Rabbi Ben #4, Bride of Finkelstein, is now available. You can also check out Rabbi Ben Mystery #2, A Scribe Dies in Brooklyn and Rabbi Ben Mystery #3, A Tale of Two Rabbis. El Pistolero, the fourth in Wolf's new Chelmin and Spaulding CID Mysteries was just published in January, 2022. To read some of Wolf's articles, memoir excerpts and short fiction, as well as photo backstories, check Marvin's blog.
Wolf is honored to be included among the Warrior Reporters in the new book by by Marc Phillip Yablonka. VIETNAM BAO CHI: Warriors of Word and Film
As he made the transition from magazine writing to longer forms, Wolf was encouraged to specialize but discovered that he was interested in so many things it was impossible to choose only one. Instead Wolf became a frequent collaborator on a variety of topics, and was pleased to be called upon by such notables as Native American leader Russell Means and former South Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky to work with them on their autobiographies. In 2016 Wolf collaborated with decorated Green Beret William Albracht on the award winning book Abandoned In Hell. Most recently, Wolf is very pleased to have worked as co-author with his early idol Joseph Galloway -- co-author of best selling New York Times book, We Were Soldiers Once, and Young -- on They Were Soldiers: The Sacrifices and Contributions of Our Vietnam Veterans. (Available now.) Sadly, the world lost Mr. Galloway in August, 2021. Wolf wrote a tribute to his decades long friend. You can read it here.
Over time, Wolf's also ghosted two award-winning sci-fi novels and a professor's popular science book. He entered the world of film and television by selling a few screenplays, and in 2005 his script "Ladies Night," based on his own short story, aired on USA Network. He's got quite a few more available for development, and some that readers can buy online. He's also performed in front of the camera, as a stuntman and actor, and behind the camera as a producer and consultant.
Wolf's now also turning his attention to reviewing the gazillion photographs he's taken over the years, and is creating volumes of coffee table collectibles on a variety of themes. Most are available as eBooks as well; eBook aficionados will find that some are only available in electronic form.
Fans of Wolf's fiction—in a mystery series which debuted with For Whom The Shofar Blows—will be happy to know the Rabbi Ben #4, Bride of Finkelstein, is now available. You can also check out Rabbi Ben Mystery #2, A Scribe Dies in Brooklyn and Rabbi Ben Mystery #3, A Tale of Two Rabbis. El Pistolero, the fourth in Wolf's new Chelmin and Spaulding CID Mysteries was just published in January, 2022. To read some of Wolf's articles, memoir excerpts and short fiction, as well as photo backstories, check Marvin's blog.
Wolf is honored to be included among the Warrior Reporters in the new book by by Marc Phillip Yablonka. VIETNAM BAO CHI: Warriors of Word and Film
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Meet MarvinMarvin has been interviewed in various venues to speak about his life and work. The video here is from an interview conducted by Trojan Vision in 2016.
To learn more about Marvin and hear more of his stories, check the video created from the evening honoring the author at a special meeting of the Independent Writers of Southern California. |
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Awards, Honors
Military
Bronze Star; Purple Heart; Air Medal; Expert Infantryman's Badge.
Literary and Photography Awards
Greater Los Angeles Press Club, 1977, "Best Story in Business Publication"; Gold Quill Awards from International Association of Business Communicators, 1977, for photography; Robert L. Denig Distinguished Service Award, USMC Combat Correspondents Association, 1982; Greater Los Angeles Press Club award of excellence for nonfiction, 1993; Robert G. Anderson Memorial Award, American Society of Journalists and Authors, 1994; Author of the Year (runner up), American Society of Authors and Journalists, 1995; Founder's Award, Independent Writers of Southern California, 1995 and 2001, Gold Medal Winner, Readers Favorite Awards 2019, Honored in new book June 2019: VIETNAM BAO CHI: Warriors of Word and Film
by Marc Phillip Yablonka |
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