Philip Turner, a former publishing executive for Sterling Publishing, Carroll & Graf and other New York houses, announced plans to publish a series of books through a new imprint to be “hosted” by the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group and distributed through RLPG sister company National Book Network. The first title to be released as “a Philip Turner Book” will be Paul David Pope's The Deeds of My Fathers: Generoso Pope, Sr., Power Broker of New York & Gene Pope, Jr., Publisher of the National Enquirer, a nonfiction examination of the multi-generational history of the Pope family, a New York City business and political family dynasty.

Turner described his new imprint as a flexible and independent unit that has an understanding with Rowman & Littlefield to ‘host’ the new line, although he said future Philip Turner Books could be hosted by other publishers. Turner said he envisions publishing about 5-10 books under the Philip Turner imprint over the next two years.

Turner has a reputation for publishing detailed and often controversial nonfiction works, and the publication of Deeds of My Fathers will give him a chance to launch his new imprint. He said it was also an opportunity to work closely with Paul David Pope, who he said had declined offers to publish the book elsewhere. The book is a history of the Pope family, which made its fortune in New York City construction around the Turn-of-the-Century. The book surveys the family’s internal conflicts and their impact on decades of political power in New York State and beyond. Indeed, the book outlines the Pope family’s efforts to popularize the celebration of Columbus Day (as well as the New York City parade), and the book will be published on Columbus Day in October 2010.