Tom Mangelsdorf

Tom Mangelsdorf's first book, A History of Steinbeck's Cannery Row, grew out of a life-long interest in John Steinbeck and the street in Monterey, California he made famous. The book is a rich blend of both the real-life history of the characters Steinbeck wrote about and the history of the sardine canneries that sprouted up along Cannery Row. It has become one of the most authoritative and widely quoted histories of the area and Steinbeck's characters.

In 1991, Mangelsdorf and his wife Pamela moved to Scottsdale, Arizona where he recently completed work on his second book, Henry Ossian Flipper: First Among Equals. This fresh look at West Point's first black graduate is a thoroughly researched narrative of this unique man's life and times.

Mr. Mangelsdorf received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of California. Following his graduation, he was commissioned a Naval Intelligence Officer and served in the Philippines during the Vietnam War era. He has written for many local and regional publications in California, and also wrote a weekly column on computers for newspapers in California, New York and New Jersey.