Jonathan Marshall (January 20, 1924 – December 13, 2008)[1] was an American newspaper publisher and philanthropist.
In 1963, Marshall purchased the Scottsdale Daily Progress newspaper, and published it for 24 years.
The novel was inspired by Marshall's visit to a museum in Bergen which documented the Norwegian resistance movement against the German occupation of Norway during World War II.
"[9]Marshall was inducted into the Arizona Newspapers Association Hall of Fame in 1996, the same year as Don Bolles and Charles E. Thornton.
[10] Marshall was one of the founders of Temple Solel reform synagogue in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
[11] Marshall spoke out against the KKK,[12] supported gun control, and was a frequent target of threats against his life.
[13] Through the Progress, Marshall supported the creation of a greenbelt instead of concrete flood-control ditch, which the United States Army Corps of Engineers had planned for Scottsdale's Indian Bend Wash.[14] The "Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt" exists today as "...an oasis of parks, lakes, paths and golf courses traversing 11 miles through the heart of Scottsdale."