Laurence Bergreen is an award-winning biographer whose earlier works include Columbus: The Four Voyages, Journey to Mars: NASA's Quest for Life Beyond Earth, Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life, Al Capone: The Man and the Period, As Many Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin, and James Agee: A Life, all of which are considered classic works on their respective subjects. His works have been translated into twenty-five different languages around the world. He's written for the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and he's taught at the New School for Social Research. He is a Harvard University graduate who lives in New York City.