Edmond Taylor was born on February 13, 1908 in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Washington University in St. Louis, but abandoned school during his freshman year for journalism, starting as a police reporter for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Traveling to Europe in 1928, Taylor joined the Chicago Tribune’s Paris edition, first as a reporter then as news editor. He joined the Chicago Tribune’s foreign news service in 1930 and became head of the Paris Bureau in 1933. Taylor covered the major events leading up to World War II, including the rise of Nazi Germany, the Spanish Civil War, the Austrian Anschluss, Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia, and the fall of France.

Taylor’s book, The Strategy of Terror, was published in 1940 and played an important role in revealing the nature and methods the psychological warfare waged by Nazi Germany. As a result, he was invited to join the Office of Coordinator of Information (1941-1942) and later the planning board of the Office of Strategic Services (1942-1946). In 1943, he served as a Navy commander in the North African Theater, and then, until 1946 as a member of Lord Louis Mountbatten’s staff in the South East Asia Command. Taylor was awarded the Bronze Star. Taylor returned to the United States in 1946 and wrote about his experiences in India and Thailand in Richer By Asia, published in 1947.

Between 1948 and 1950, Taylor worked in the Mass Communications Department of UNESCO. Taylor then worked as study director for the Council on Foreign Relations on a project on strengthening democratic leadership abroad (1950-1952), a consultant for the Office of Public Affairs for HICOG (1951), and as Assistant Director for Office of Plans and Policy for the Psychological Strategy Broad (1952).

Beginning in 1954, Taylor served as chief European correspondent of The Reporter magazine. Taylor also wrote a weekly newspaper column for a number of American dailies including the Washington Post. In addition, Taylor published two more books, the Fall of the Dynasties (1963) and Awakening From History (1969).

Taylor had two children, William and Caroline, with his first wife, Irene Silverstein Taylor. He also had two children, Michael and Anne, with his second wife, Anne Verena de Salis Taylor. He passed away at the age of 90 on March 30, 1998.