Born in Vienna, Austria, Newman emigrated from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to Canada in 1940 as a Jewish refugee. His parents were Wanda Maria and Oscar Karel Neumann, a self-made wealthy factory owner. Newman was educated at Upper Canada College, where he was a member of Seaton's House, and the University of Toronto. He has been a reporter for the Financial Post, served as editor of the Toronto Star, and was the long-time editor of Maclean's, stewarding its transformation from a general interest magazine to a weekly news magazine. He continues to write a column for the periodical. In 1978 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to the rank of Companion in 1990. Newman is widely respected for his intimate knowledge and understanding of Canadian business leaders. His 1975 book, The Canadian Establishment, was widely acclaimed. Newman made his name as an author in the 1960s with the publication of two books: Renegade in Power: The Diefenbaker Years, a study of the government of John George Diefenbaker that some say helped destroy the Tory leader's career, and The Distemper of Our Times, an examination of Canadian politics during the era of Lester Pearson. On September 12, 2005, Newman announced the publication of The Secret Mulroney Tapes: Unguarded Confessions of a Prime Minister, a biography of former Canadian prime ministerBrian Mulroney, whom he considers a friend. The information released to the press contained several surprising revelations, including an allegation by Mulroney that Pierre Trudeau's contribution "was not to build Canada but to destroy it." Later the same day, Mulroney issued a press release stating he felt "devastated" and "betrayed" by the publication of information he had understood to be confidential. Shortly after the publication of The Secret Mulroney Tapes, both Mulroney and Conrad Black filed suit against Newman. Newman has been married four times, once to writer Christina McCall. He lives with his fourth wife, Alvy Newman, in Belleville, Ontario. He joined the Royal Canadian Navy reserve in 1947 as an Ordinary Seaman and later reached the rank of Captain, having served in the naval reserve for 50 years. He was appointed Visiting Professor of Distinction at Ryerson University in Toronto in December 2009. In October 2012 he joined the faculty of the Royal Military College of Canada as its first journalist-in-residence. In this role he is involved with RMC's graduate and undergraduate programs and gives lectures on topics relating to business, politics and history.
