Michael Korda at home on his farm in Dutchess County. Apple-cheeked and clutching a steaming cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, the best-selling author Michael Korda doesn’t look tired when he strides from the stables at his Stone Gate Farm in Pleasant Valley, NY, on a recent Sunday morning to greet a video crew from Rural Intelligence. “It is already so cold!” he exclaims, fresh from his morning ride, a ritual he has followed most every day of his life whether in New York's Central Park or here in the heart of the Hudson Valley. “Let’s get inside so we can talk.”
Korda is eager to discuss his new book, Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia, and he lead us to his office in the historic white farmhouse that he and his wife have owned for over three decades,. The antique colonial farmhouse, built in 1765, is thought to be the oldest home in the town of Pleasant Valley, and was a central character in Korda’s Country Matters: The Pleasures and Tribulations of Moving from a Big City to an Old Country Farmhouse. (Harper Collins, 2001). The house was initially a weekend retreat and is now their full-time home. The editor-in-chief emeritus of Simon & Schuster in New York City, Korda has set aside time to talk with Rural Intelligence about Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia , his new biography of T.E. Lawrence, the British military legend. With this latest book launch in full swing, Korda has been hustling to media interviews and book readings throughout New York City and across the Hudson Valley with recent appearances at Merritt Books in Millbrook , Vassar College, and Marist College. He will reading at Rhinebeck’s Oblong Books on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. RI wanted to ask Korda about the book, and naturally, about his life in Pleasant Valley on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the publication of Country Matters. The interview follows in three acts. Act I: Why Lawrence of Arabia?Act II: On Lawrence as Media CelebrityAct III: On Country Life in Dutchess County Related links: NPR: Lawrence of Arabia, Hero In The Middle EastThe New York Times Book Review: “Lawrence: Fresh Look at Warrior of Desert”DailyBeast: "The Last Hero"
