What I Do

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Great Start for My Recent Books in 2024:

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First review is in for a book to be published this fall:

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Searching for John DeWitt

What 80 Long-Lost Letters from the Trenches of World War One

Taught Me About Honor, Courage, and Men at War

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"A masterfully told re-creation of one man’s wartime experiences from World War I. An important contribution to American wartime history reminiscent of Ken Burns’ epic documentary The Civil War.

Well worth the read."

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Kirkus has weighed in on my recent effort with the estimable Judd Swift, to be published in May by The Lyons Press:

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My Presidential Life: The Showdown at Putin's Dacha and Other Misadventures on the Diplomatic Road

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“Advance work for presidents is always demanding but never dull, and Swift describes it all in this colorful account… Refreshingly, the author narrates his intriguing career without rancor or self-aggrandizement, providing an entertaining read about what happens behind the curtain… Swift has tales to tell and secrets to spill, and he does it with aplomb and humor.”

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A Harvest of Innocence: The Untold Story of the West Memphis Three Murder Case is Amazon's top new release in true crime.

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Some early reviews:

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'Stidham and McCarthy have crafted an exceptional book that tells the true story of the 1993 murders of three innocent victims and the rushed convictions of three innocent residents of West Memphis, Arkansas. A must-have for any true crime buff, law student, or civil rights activist."

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"Beautifully written."

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“The book is absolutely extraordinary. You’ve very nimbly and masterfully wove through three decades of litigation while making it interesting, readable, and relatable."

I am a longtime book-publishing executive with industry connections.

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Other ghost-written titles to be published in 2023-2024 include a wrenching and undiscovered history of an American trench-runner in World War I; a moving account of an American businessman who returns to his native North Korea to build schools and help orphans; and a chilling look at early polar exploration.

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My recent work also includes a new edition of The New York Times best-selling From Baghdad, With Love.

Jay Kopelman, a Marine colonel in besieged Fallujah, Iraq, whose struggle to adopt a young puppy amid the chaos and carnage of war is recounted in the book, said this about working with me.

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“As a New York Times and international best-selling author, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a number a of co-authors. Only when I worked with Tom McCarthy on my best-selling book, From Baghdad, With Love, did I understand how truly fortunate I was to have a professional writer/editor like Tom on my team. He is thoughtful, creative, witty, and possessing of a keen eye and ear for true story telling. I will only work with Tom McCarthy as a co-writer/editor on all future projects.”

 

My projects have won have won a Harvard University Book of the Year, a Readers Digest Top Summer Book, an Esquire Year's Five Best Reads, a Sports Illustrated Top Book of the Year, an American Library Association, Best Non-Fiction, and a Runner's World Best Book of the Year, among others.

More than 50 published books in nonfiction genres including: memoir, sports, health and fitness, business, adventure, and true crime.

Harvest of Innocence, my a true crime narrative, has already sparked a rave review.

“The book is absolutely extraordinary. You’ve very nimbly and masterfully wove through three decades of litigation while making it interesting, readable, and relatable," the reviewer wrote.

Some other praise from clients and critics for just a few writing and editing projects:

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"The interviews crackle with immediacy." -The New York Times, on Embedded, Harvard Book of the Year

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"You have done a remarkable job putting a very complex story together in an amazing fashion. Well done, my friend." –Dan Stidham, lawyer and judge, on Harvest of Innocence

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"Your sensitive writing illuminated the entire story." --Rick Starr, Archivist, Rye Country Day School

​“Thanks to Tom McCarthy, for being a great human being, a brilliant editor, and for making me look far better than I actually am.” --Sprague Theobald, Emmy Award Winner

"McCarthy shows a good sense for the interesting and gory detail, offering up plenty of blood-soaked action while keeping it appropriate. A breezy offering . . . " --Kirkus Reviews, on Pirates and Shipwrecks
 

“The book offers not only an arresting remembrance, but also an inspirational one that’s filled with wisdom gained through difficult experience.” –Kirkus Reviews, on Swimming Upstream

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