George Jonas
George Jonas was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1935. He is the son of Dr. Georg M. Hübsch, a lawyer, composer, and former member of the Viennese State Opera, and Magda Hübsch, nee Klug, both deceased.
After attending the Lutheran Gymnasium between 1945 and 1954, Jonas worked briefly as a program editor for Radio Budapest. Following the Hungarian uprising of 1956, he emigrated to Canada. He became a script editor (1962), and later TV producer (1971), for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where he worked until 1985. Since then he has been a freelance journalist, writer, and TV producer based in Toronto.
In addition to 14 books, some of which have become national and international bestsellers, Jonas has written three works for live stage (The European Lover, a one-act opera, with music by Tibor Polgar, directed by Leon Major, first performed in 1965; The Glove, a one-act opera, with music by Tibor Polgar, directed by Alan Lunn, first performed in 1973, and Pushkin, a full-length stage play, directed by Marion Andre, first performed in 1979). Jonas has also written and/or produced and/or directed over 200 dramas and documentary dramas for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, including the award-winning radio and TV series, The Scales of Justice (1981-1996). A film, Sword of Gideon, based on Jonas's book Vengeance, was directed by Michael Anderson and featured Michael York, Colleen Dewhurst, Lino Ventura, and Rod Steiger. Another film, Munich, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Eric Bana, is due to be released in December, 2005.
Jonas has contributed features, reviews, columns, poetry as well as aviation and motorsport journalism to many Canadian periodicals and newspapers; also to such U.S. and British publications and wire services as the Daily Telegraph, Saturday Review, the National Review, The Wall Street Journal, The National Interest, The Chicago Sun-Times, the Middle East Quarterly, and United Press International. He has been a contributing editor and columnist for The Canadian Lawyer; past contributing editor of Toronto Life, and past weekly columnist for the Toronto Sun (1981-2001).
Currently Jonas writes a syndicated weekly column for CanWest Publications, and is a weekly columnist for the National Post. His latest book, Beethoven's Mask: Notes on My Life and Times, is being published by Key Porter Books in September, 2005.
Awards:
"Edgar Allan Poe" Award for Best Fact Crime Book for By Persons Unknown, Mystery Writers of America. (New York, 1978.)
"Nelly" Award (twice) for Best Canadian Radio Program for The Scales of Justice, A.C.T.R.A. and Texaco. (Toronto, 1983 and 1986.)
"Gabriel" Award for Best Radio Entertainment Program in North America for The Scales of Justice. (San Antonio, Texas,1985.)
Gold Medal, New York International Radio Festival, for The Scales of Justice. (New York, 1986.)
Inaugural "Scales of Justice" Award, Law Reform Commission and the Canadian Bar Association, for The Scales of Justice. (Ottawa, 1986.)
Periodical Distributors of Canada "Author's Award" (three times) for Best Paperback Book for By Persons Unknown (Toronto, 1978); Vengeance (Ottawa, 1985); and for Personality Feature ("The Nice Man Cometh," Toronto Life, 1987.)
International World of Motorcycling "Max Award" (twice) for motorsport journalism and for A Passion Observed. (Toronto, 1980 and 1989.)
National Magazine Award for journalism ("Legally Bombed," Saturday Night, 1991.)
"Gemini" Award (twice) for Best TV Movie for Regina vs. Nelles, The Scales of Justice, and for Best Short Dramatic Program for Regina vs. Stewart, The Scales of Justice, Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. (Toronto, 1993.)
BOOKS BY GEORGE JONAS NOW AVAILABLE
Recent articles by George Jonas
SHADES OF VIETNAM National Post January 20, 2007 A WASTE OF AMERICAN LIVES National Post January 13, 2007 TWO CENTURIES OF HARD LESSONS National Post December 23, 2006 HUNGARY'S NIXON National Post October 2, 2006 IT'S NOT HUNGARY, 1956 National Post September 30, 2006 EUROPE'S CASSANDRA: ORIANA FALLACI WAS A CELEBRATED JOURNALIST LIVING IN EXILE National Post September 18, 2006 AMERICA'S MORALPOLITIK National Post September 16, 2006 THE DAY THE WORLD CHANGED FOREVER Benador Associates September 14, 2006 HUNGARY'S 'POET KING' National Post September 9, 2006 MAN IN THE SHADOWS DESCRIBES 13 INTEGRAL YEARS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD Benador Associates September 7, 2006 THE WAR AGAINST TASTINESS National Post June 24, 2006 BLOGGERS "NOT JUST LIKE" COLUMNISTS Benador Associates June 22, 2006 ULTRA-LIBERAL POLICIES BEGET SUB-LIBERAL LAWS National Post June 17, 2006 CONDEMN TERRORISM, NOT MEDIA FOR REPORTING ON IT Benador Associates June 15, 2006 WOMEN ARE OMNIVORES, MEN ARE PANDAS National Post June 10, 2006 MAYOR NEEDS TO UP HIS ANGER OVER ALLEGED TERROR PLOT Benador Associates June 8, 2006 PETER MUNK AND THE CHARITABLE IMPERATIVE National Post June 3, 2006 CANADIANS SHOULD COUNT THEMSELVES OUT OF CENSUS Benador Associates June 1, 2006 WEARING YOUR FAITH ON YOUR LAPEL National Post May 30, 2006 CARIBBEAN OFFERS MIGRATION MIGRAINES FOR THE SIGHT-SEEING SET Benador Associates May 25, 2006 MY LUNCH WITH PERES National Post May 19, 2006 THE MEARSHEIMER-WALT PAPER OR THE LEARNED "PROTOCOLS" Benador Associates April 12, 2006 HAMAS WILL NOT RECOGNIZE ISRAEL Benador Associates March 22, 2006 THE CURTAIN OF DEATH FALLS UPON MILOSEVIC Benador Associates March 16, 2006 CLOWNEY: PLAYING IT SAFE Benador Associates March 8, 2006 IN DEFENSE OF OUR CULTURE OF FREEDOM Benador Associates February 28, 2006 NO TOY GUNS ALLOWED Benador Associates February 22, 2006 OBSESSED WITH THE D-WORD National Post February 3, 2006 THE SPIELBERG MASSACRE McLean's Jan. 09, 2006 A HAWK, THEN A DOVE National Post January 6, 2006 DETACHMENT ISN'T A VIRTUE National Post December 30, 2005 OUR IDIOT SAVANT SOCIETY National Post December 23, 2005 FACING UP TO OUR FIFTH COLUMN National Post December 9, 2005 JUSTICE IN WONDERLAND National Post November 22, 2005 "PRINCE & PRINCESS" Benador Associates November 16, 2005 UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES National Post October 14, 2005 LET LA SCALA COME TO YOU National Post October 7, 2005 IT'S LIBERALISM THAT'S FLATLINING National Post September 30, 2005 SPIRITED FLYING National Post September 23, 2005 MAKE MEN TICK ---FOR YOU National Post September 16, 2005 AN ANCIENT STRUGGLE CONTINUES National Post September 10, 2005 SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT Benador Associates August 31, 2005 MATCHES IN A GAS DEPOT National Post August 29, 2005 THE WINDMILLS OF THE MIND Benador Associates August 18, 2005 THE G-G WITH TWO MASTERS National Post August 17, 2005 SUBSIDIZING AFRICAN MISERY National Post August 08, 2005 AFTER FAHD, ABDALLAH, THEN WHAT....? Benador Associates August 4, 2005 STATISTICS, INFLUENCE AND REALITY Benador Associates July 26, 2005 THE MANY FACES OF JIHAD National Post July 25, 2005 CANADIAN CBC: "ATTACK" YES, "TERRORIST" NO Benador Associates July 21, 2005 SURVIVAL KIT FOR DEMOCRACIES Benador Associates July 17, 2005 REAL MUSLIMS & FALSE MUSLIMS National Post July 11, 2005 SILENCE HAS ITS PRICE National Post July 4, 2005 JAN WONG'S (ILLEGAL?) CHEAP SHOT National Post June 27, 2005 PUSHING THE ENVELOPE National Post June 20, 2005 THREE CHEERS FOR LAZINESS AND CORRUPTIBILITY National Post June 15, 2005 ON WEIRD DUCK National Post June 5, 2005 THE GENIUS OF PRINCE ABDULLAH National Post May 30, 2005 FANCY NAME FOR TRIBALISM National Post May 20, 2005 JUSTICE STANDS IN THE WAY OF UGANDAN PEACE National Post May 16, 2005 RUSSIANS CAN BUILD ANYTHING - EXCEPT A SOCIETY National Post May 9, 2005 PUT THEM UNDER A BARREL National Post May 6, 2005 A LESSON FROM THE SWISS National Post May 2, 2005 APOLOGIES HEARD AROUND THE WORLD National Post April 25, 2005 BLOOD MONEY ALWAYS COMES WITH STRINGS National Post April 18, 2005 A BOMBSHELL? HARDLY National Post April 11, 2005 DALTON McGUINTY, AT THE MOVIES National Post March 28, 2005 HOORAY FOR THE RULE OF LAW National Post March 21, 2005 SELLING OUT TAIWAN National Post March 14, 2005 HELLO, DR. MAHATHIR, GOODBYE HERR ZUNDEL National Post March 7, 2005 TALKING TAXI TALES TO TINSELTOWN National Post February 28, 2005 BUSH HAS GOOD REASON TO BE HOSTILE National Post February 21, 2005 VIRGINIA GOES THE WAY OF MINORITY REPORT National Post February 19, 2005 POLITICALLY CORRECT CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST CanWest Publications February 17, 2005 HONOURING A MURDERER National Post February 14, 2005 THE WINDOW WAS BROKEN IN THE 1960s National Post February 7, 2005 A DEMOCRACY --FOR NOW National Post January 31, 2005 RAIDERS OF MULTICULT v. AMAZONS OF THE STATUS QUO National Post January 24, 2005 JIMMY JAMES'S ROCK WAS ANOTHER COUNTRY National Post January 17, 2005 A PALESTINIAN LEADER CAN'T BE MODERATE National Post January 10, 2005 RACIAL PROFILING, REVISITED National Post January 3, 2005 EXPORTING FREEDOM, IMPORTING INTOLERANCE National Post December 27, 2004 THE MYTH OF THE GENTLER SEX National Post December 20, 2004 FROM TAIWAN TO MOOSE JAW, A DANGEROUS WORLD National Post December 13, 2004 PRESS FREEDOM HAS ITS LIMITS National Post December 6, 2004 FIVE GAMBITS FOR UKRAINE National Post November 29, 2004 FORCE IS NOT INIMICAL TO DEMOCRACY National Post November 22, 2004 CAUSE OF DEATH: UNKNOWN National Post November 15, 2004 NEVER A MAN OF PEACE National Post November 11, 2004 BAD IDEAS: I KNOW THEM WHEN I SEE THEM National Post November 8, 2004 ON TRUSCOTT, COTLER MADE THE RIGHT CALL National Post November 1, 2004 DON'T BLAME THE BREED National Post October 25, 2004 NEWSPAPER OF RECORD? HARDLY National Post October 18, 2004 THE IMPORTANCE OF SAYING 'NO' National Post October 15, 2004 A SCREEN TEST POSING AS A DEBATE National Post October 4, 2004 PUTTING NASTY WORDS IN MY MOUTH National Post September 27, 2004 A WORLD THAT DOESN'T EXIST National Post September 23, 2004 BAN THE KNIFE, BEWARE THE BENCH National Post September 20, 2004 FRENCH PRAGMATISM COMES TO SUDAN National Post September 13, 2004 FANATICS ARE NOW LEADING THE FIGHT National Post September 8, 2004 WESTERN VALUES DON'T NECESSARILY TRAVEL National Post August 30, 2004 DIFFERENT CODES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS National Post August 23, 2004 OFFICIALDOM ARROGANCE National Post August 16, 2004 SVEND ROBINSON DID US ALL A FAVOUR National Post August 9, 2004 MUCH ADO ABOUT THE HEINZ HEIRESS National Post August 3, 2004 LOSING THE PEACE MAY GIVE KERRY THE WIN National Post July 26, 2004 BACKWARDNESS ON AN EPIC SCALE National Post July 19, 2004 POLLUTING JUSTICE WITH POLITICS National Post July 12, 2004 CONSERVATIVES SHOULD STOP SULKING National Post July 5, 2004 MY UNION WON'T VOTE FOR CONSERVATIVE MEANIES National Post June 28, 2004 TOWARD AN AXIS OF THE FEEBLE National Post June 21, 2004 MAKING SENSE OF OUR RIP VAN WINKLE WORLD National Post June 14, 2004 REAGAN'S IDEALISM WAS WELL TIMED National Post June 7, 2004 THE CULTURE WAR'S ELECTED PEACEMAKERS National Post May 31, 2004 BAGHDAD GOES THE WAY OF SAIGON National Post May 17, 2004 HATE JEWS IF YOU MUST -BUT DON'T BLOW US UP National Post May 10, 2004 THATCHER BROUGHT HOPE TO THE WORLD National Post May 5, 2004 'BURGEONING REFORM'? I DON'T THINK SO National Post May 3, 2004 WILL EURABIA MODERNIZE ISLAM? National Post April 26, 2004 BUSH WILL STAND BY HIS FRIEND, ISRAEL National Post April 20, 2004 AMERICA MUST FIND ITS NATIONAL PURPOSE TO BEAT THE TERRORISTS National Post April 17, 2004 FLIGHTS OF FANCY STILL ABOUND National Post April 12, 2004 NOT IN OUR CANADA? WISHFUL THINKING National Post April 8, 2004 WE MUST STAND ON GUARD AGAINST TERRORISM National Post April 5, 2004 CRAVING RESPECTABILITY --AND HUMAN FLESH National Post March 29, 2004 CLEANSING SERBS, COURTESY OF NATO National Post March 22, 2004 DEMOCRACY CAN SURVIVE A FEW HURLED SHOES National Post March 15, 2004 THE POET AND THE BALLET DANCER National Post March 8, 2004 OFFICIALDOM'S BLISTERING ARROGANCE National Post March 1, 2004 EASTERN EUROPEANS GO ROUND IN CIRCLES National Post February 23, 2004 A.Q. KAHN AND THE END OF MAD National Post February 16, 2004 DR. HAWKING, MEET DON CHERRY National Post February 9, 2004 A SHOW TRIAL AMERICAN STYLE National Post February 2, 2004 Special privileges for journalists? National Post January 26, 2004 BIOMETRICS WON'T CATCH DISPOSABLE TERRORISTS National Post January 19, 2004 THE LEGITIMACY OF ETHNIC PATRIOTISM National Post January 12, 2004 THE POLITICS OF AIR CRASHES National Post January 5, 2004 PUTTING 2003 INTO WORDS National Post December 29, 2003 REPLACING CORPORATE GREED WITH ANOTHER National Post December 22, 2003 SACRIFICING TAIWAN'S SELF-DETERMINATION National Post December 18, 2003 A SHOW TRIAL WOULD BE WORSE THAN NONE AT ALL National Post December 15, 2003 ETHNIC STATES ARE HARDLY PASSE NATIONAL POST December 1, 2003 UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF BACK-SEAT DRIVERS NATIONAL POST November 24, 2003 WILL THE FRANCO-GERMAN VISION OF THE EU PREVAIL? NATIONAL POST November 17, 2003 TEACHING CIVIL SERVANTS SOME NEW TRICKS NATIONAL POST November 10, 2003 SHARON IS NOT FUELING SUICIDE BOMBERS NATIONAL POST November 3, 2003 PRAGMATIC ANTI-SEMITES NATIONAL POST October 28, 2003 "BUSH WAS PRUDENT NOT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES" NATIONAL POST October 20, 2003 ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS ABOUT RAPE NATIONAL POST October 14, 2003 GEORGE RADWANSKI IS GETTING A BUM RAP NATIONAL POST October 6, 2003 THE UN AND THE OLD DEVIL NATIONAL POST September 22, 2003 PUTTING THE ELITES IN THEIR PLACE NATIONAL POST September 17, 2003 BAYONETS CAN'T REBUILD NATIONS NATIONAL POST September 10, 2003 INFILTRATION PROJECTS TERRORISTS' POWER NATIONAL POST September 3, 2003 TWO PRESIDENTS, ONE FOREIGN POLICY National Post August 27, 2003 BUYING ATONEMENT --FOR US$2.7-BILLION National Post August 20, 2003 TOBACCO'S ENEMIES CLAIM ANOTHER VICTIM National Post August 13, 2003 THE BBC HAS BEEN CAPTURED BY THE LEFT National Post August 6, 2003 THE YEARNING FOR BIG-POWER PROTECTION National Post July 30, 2003 THE ISSUE ISN'T GUN CONTROL BUT STATE CONTROL National Post July 23, 2003 DEMOCRACY IS ANATHEMA TO THE RULERS IN BEIJING National Post July 16, 2003 OTHER PEOPLE'S WARS DON'T BELONG HERE National Post July 9, 2003 BETWEEN A POLICE STATE AND AN EASY MARK National Post July 2, 2003 RACISM AND SEXISM? THAT'S AN AFFIRMATIVE National Post June 25, 2003 IRAN WILL TEST THE LEFT'S METTLE National Post June 18, 2003 An Absence of Evidence proves nothing National Post June 4, 2003 Iraq's borders may be a work in progress National Post May 28, 2003 Hawks fly with doves over North Korea National Post May 21, 2003 The MADness of opposing NMD National Post May 16, 2003 We Can't Only Fight Regimes National Post May 7, 2003 Reporters in bed with dictators National Post April 23, 2003 The UN is a post-war project that must go National Post April 18, 2003 Justice would be the loser if Saddam were put in the dock Daily Telegraph April 17, 2003 Who's next on America's list? National Post April 9, 2003 Separating Friend and Foe National Post April 2, 2003 Liberators will face a mixed welcome National Post March 26, 2003 Why this Kosovo dove became an Iraqi hawk National Post March 12, 2003 The French have a lot of Gaul National Post March 5, 2003 Reuniting the Frankish family National Post February 5, 2003 Baaklini says what the Arab world thinks National Post January 13, 2003 It's not a choice between Kim and Saddam National Post January 8, 2003 Making air travel at least palatable National Post January 4, 2003 I came for the climate - of freedom National Post December 2, 2002 Concordia should do the right thing National Post November 28, 2002 Muslims must disavow Osama's message National Post November 18, 2002 Let the punishment fit the crime National Post November 13, 2002 Fallaci is a little heavy on the rage National Post November 7, 2002 Today's small players pack a big punch National Post October 31, 2002 Tax dollars shouldn't go to foreign charities National Post October 16, 2002 Not all teachers are angels National Post August 26, 2002 'Kill peacekeeping'? If only ... National Post July 6, 2002 Multiculturalism's volatile mix National Post June 25, 2002 None of Israel's good deeds will go unpunished National Post June 15, 2002 Where's Osama? Iran? National Post February 1, 2002 Arafat's past comes back to haunt him National Post January 16, 2002
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