Martin Ebon (May 27, 1917 – February 11, 2006) was the pen-name of Hans Martin Schwarz, an American journalist and author of non-fiction books and articles from the paranormal to politics, particularly as an anti-communist.^[1][2][3][4]

Hans Martin Schwarz was born on May 27, 1917, in Hamburg, Germany.

During the 1930s, Schwarz published in Israelitisches Familienblatt among other German-Jewish periodicals.^[1]

In 1938, Schwarz emigrated to the USA, lived in New York City from 1938 onwards, and changed his name from Hans Martin Schwartz to Martin Ebon.^[1]

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Office of War Information (formed June 1942), the U.S. Department of State (as an information officer^{[citation needed]}), and by 1948 had joined the staff of Partisan Review magazine.^[2]

In January 1948, Ebon published his first book in English, World Communism Today.^[2] The book reviewed a century of Marxism, following the publication of the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848.^[5] Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. praised the book as an "outstanding work on communist penetration and strategy."^[6] The book was cited as an expert source, e.g., 60,000 members in the Korean Communist Party as of 1949.^[7] In March 1948, he appeared on WMAL AM radio in Washington, DC, to discuss "Which Way America – Fascism, Communism, Socialism, or Democracy?" with Raymond Moley (Conservative), Norman Thomas (Socialist), and Leon Milton Birkhead (Unitarian).^[8] His July 1948 article "Communist Tactics in Palestine" in the Middle East Journal received a favorably review as "carefully documented" and "objective and non-partisan."^[6] In 1953, his book Malenkov: Stalin's Successor received mixed reviews as "short,"^[9] quickly published (weeks after Stalin's death), and carefully appraising thanks to the author's previous book on world communism.^[10] It drew favorable comparison to Eugene Lyons' Our Secret Allies.^[11]

Ebon held various positions in book and magazine retailing, including:

• Managing Editor of foreign language division, Overseas News Agency; U.S. Information Agency, New York City^{[citation needed]}
• Information Officer on Far Eastern desks, 1950–52; Hill & Knowlton, Inc. (public relations), New York City^{[citation needed]}
• Account Executive, 1952–53; Parapsychology Foundation, Inc., New York City, administrative secretary and editor, 1953–65, working closely with its founder, Eileen J. Garrett^[4]
• Lombard Associates, Inc. (public relations and publications consultants), New York City, president, 1962–82^{[citation needed]}
• Consulting Editor, New American Library (publishers), 1966–83^{[citation needed]}
• Executive Editor of hardcover book division, Playboy Press, 1971–72^{[citation needed]}
• Lecturer in Division of Social Sciences, The New School, 1949–50, 1955–56, 1967^{[citation needed]}
• Consultant, Foundation for Research on the Nature of Man, 1966–67^{[citation needed]}
• Free-lance writer from 1967 on^{[citation needed]}

Ebon married Chariklia Baltazzi; they had one son.^[3]

Martin Ebon died age 82 on February 11, 2006, in Las Vegas, Nevada.^[3]

The Center for Jewish History houses articles written by Ebon between 1934 and 1938 for German-Jewish newspapers, plus reviews of his German-language books.^[1]

Ebon published dozens of books on world affairs and parapsychology.^[1]

Books in German

• Einer wie Du und Ich (1937)^[1][12]
• Heiteres, Besinnliches, Nachdenkliches (1937)^[1][13]

Books in English

• World Communism Today (1948)^[14][15]
• Malenkov: Stalin's Successor, McGraw-Hill, 1953
• Svetlana: The Story of Stalin's Daughter, New American Library, 1967
• Prophecy in Our Time, New American Library, 1968.
• The Making of a Legend, Universe Books, 1969.
• Lin Pao: The Life and Writings of China's New Ruler, Stein & Day.
• Witchcraft Today, New American Library, 1971.
• Every Woman's Guide to Abortion, Universe Books, 1971.
• They Knew the Unknown, World Publishing, 1971.
• The Truth about Vitamin E, Bantam, 1972.
• The Devil's Bride: Exorcism, Past and Present, Harper, 1974.
• The Essential Vitamin Counter, Bantam, 1974.
• Which Vitamins Do You Need?, Bantam, 1974.
• Saint Nicholas.- Life and Legend, Harper, 1975.
• The Satan Trap: Dangers of the Occult, Doubleday, 1976.
• What's New in ESP?, Pyramid, 1976.
• The Relaxation Controversy, New American Library, 1976.
• The Evidence for Life after Death, New American Library, 1977.
• Miracles, Signet, 1981.
• Psychic Warfare: Threat or Illusion, McGraw-Hill, 1983.
• The Andropov File, McGraw-Hill, 1983.
• Nikita Khrushchev, Chelsea House, 1986.
• The Soviet Propaganda Machine, McGraw-Hill, 1987.
• KGB: Death and Rebirth, Greenwood/Praeger, 1994

Books as "Eric Ward"

• The President's Daughter with Ursala Russell, Bantam, 1973

Articles

• "World Communism Has Passed Its Peak," American Mercury (January 1948)^[2]
• "Communist Tactics in Palestine," Middle East Journal (July 1948)^[16]
• "Psychic Studies: The Soviet Dilemma," Skeptical Inquirer (1985)^[17]

Miscellaneous

• Letter to Joshua Lederberg (15 November 1985)^[18]

• Guide to the Hans Martin Schwarz collection at the Leo Baeck Institute, NY.