Dorothy Schiff was, by admission, a wealthy socialite who knew little about business and less about newspapers. She married and divorced four men in forty-five years. She was friend and confidante to presidents and captains of industry.

But it was not until Schiff took controlling interest of the New York Post in 1939 that she found her claim to fame. Her acquisition of the Post was more than just a business transaction--it was the beginning of a trailblazing publishing career that spanned thirty-seven years. Through her stewardship and leadership one of the nation's oldest newspapers became profitable again--and Schiff became one of America's most influential publishers.

To understand the publishing history of Schiff (she stopped using her husbands' surnames after her third divorce in the late 1940s) it is important to examine the intertwining of her family life, her marriages, and her newspaper. Unlike many newspaper publishers, Schiff did...