Frederic Morton was born in Vienna and lives in New York. He is the author of twelve books, two of which, "The Rothschilds" and "A Nervous Splendor, " have been National Book Award finalists. "The Rothschilds" was made into a Tony Award-winning musical. Morton's work has been anthologized in "The Best American Short Stories 1965" as well as in "The Best American Essays 2003."