Christopher Andersen
Encyclopedia
Christopher Peter Andersen (born May 26, 1949) is an American
journalist
and the author of 30 books, including many bestsellers. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Andersen joined the staff of Time Magazine as a contributing editor in 1969. From 1974 to 1986 Andersen was senior editor of Time Incorporated’s People Magazine. He has also written for a wide range of publications, including The New York Times
, The New York Daily News, Life, and Vanity Fair
.
While his early nonfiction books veered from psychology ('The Name Game') to true crime
('The Serpent’s Tooth') to art collecting ('The Best of Everything'), with former Sotheby’s chairman John Marion), he is best known for his controversial biographies. Between 1991 and 2008, he published 13 New York Times bestselling biographies.
Seven of Andersen’s titles have also been selected for the Readers Digest Today’s Best Nonfiction Books of the Year series. In November 2008, NBC's Brian Williams
presented Andersen with a Joan's Legacy Award for excellence in journalism regarding lung cancer, along with Ladies Home Journal, which excerpted the portion of his book Somewhere in Heaven: The Remarkable Love Story of Dana and Christopher Reeve describing Dana Reeve's battle with lung cancer.
The Day John Died and Madonna Unauthorized (1991) were made into television films.
Andersen has appeared frequently appears on TV programs such as Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, Larry King
Live, the CBS Early Show, Dateline, Extra, The O’Reilly Factor, Inside Edition, and Hardball.
Married since 1972 to former international banker Valerie Hess, Andersen resides in Connecticut
. They have two daughters—network TV news producer Katharine (b. 1980) and Kelly (1990).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and the author of 30 books, including many bestsellers. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Andersen joined the staff of Time Magazine as a contributing editor in 1969. From 1974 to 1986 Andersen was senior editor of Time Incorporated’s People Magazine. He has also written for a wide range of publications, including The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The New York Daily News, Life, and Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
.
While his early nonfiction books veered from psychology ('The Name Game') to true crime
True crime
True crime is a non-fiction literary and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people.The crimes most commonly include murder, but true crime works have also touched on other legal cases. Depending on the writer, true crime can adhere strictly to...
('The Serpent’s Tooth') to art collecting ('The Best of Everything'), with former Sotheby’s chairman John Marion), he is best known for his controversial biographies. Between 1991 and 2008, he published 13 New York Times bestselling biographies.
Seven of Andersen’s titles have also been selected for the Readers Digest Today’s Best Nonfiction Books of the Year series. In November 2008, NBC's Brian Williams
Brian Williams
Brian Douglas Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, the evening news program of the NBC television network, a position he assumed in 2004...
presented Andersen with a Joan's Legacy Award for excellence in journalism regarding lung cancer, along with Ladies Home Journal, which excerpted the portion of his book Somewhere in Heaven: The Remarkable Love Story of Dana and Christopher Reeve describing Dana Reeve's battle with lung cancer.
The Day John Died and Madonna Unauthorized (1991) were made into television films.
Andersen has appeared frequently appears on TV programs such as Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
Live, the CBS Early Show, Dateline, Extra, The O’Reilly Factor, Inside Edition, and Hardball.
Married since 1972 to former international banker Valerie Hess, Andersen resides in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. They have two daughters—network TV news producer Katharine (b. 1980) and Kelly (1990).
Works
- The Name GameThe Name Game"The Name Game", or "The Banana Song", is a children's singalong rhyming game that creates variations on a person's name. It was written by U.S...
(1977) - FatherFatherA father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
(1983) - The Serpent's Tooth (1986)
- Young Kate: Katharine Hepburn and the Making of an American Legend (1988)
- The Best of Everything (with John Marion) (l989)
- Citizen Jane (1990)
- Madonna: Unauthorized (1991)
- Jagger: Unauthorized (1993)
- Michael Jackson: Unauthorized" (1994)
- Jack and Jackie: Portrait of an American Marriage (1996)
- An Affair to RememberAn Affair to RememberAn Affair to Remember is a 1957 film starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, and directed by Leo McCarey. It was distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation....
(1997) - Jackie After Jack: Portrait of the Lady (1998)
- The Day Diana Died (1998)
- Bill and Hillary: The Marriage (1999)
- The Day John Died (2000) (about John F. Kennedy, Jr.)
- Diana’s Boys: William and Harry and the Mother They Loved (2001)
- George and Laura: Portrait of an American Marriage (2002)
- Sweet Caroline: Last Child of Camelot (2003)
- American Evita: Hillary Clinton's Path to Power (2004)
- Barbra: The Way She Is (2006)
- After Diana: William, Harry, Charles, and the Royal House of Windsor (2007)
- Somewhere in Heaven: The Remarkable Love Story of Dana and Christopher Reeve (2008)
- Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American MarriageBarack and MichelleBarack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage is an unauthorized "tell all" biography about Barack and Michelle Obama, focusing on their marriage, written by Christopher Andersen and published in 2009.-Background:...
(2009) - William and Kate: A Royal Love Story (2010)