Charles Higham is the author of many bestselling books, including Howard Hughes, a basis of The Aviator, a major motion picture starring Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as acclaimed biographies of Katharine Hepburn, Errol Flynn, Bette Davis, and Marlene Dietrich. He received the Prix des Createurs from the Academie Francaise and was a Hollywood feature writer for the New York Times from 1970 to 1980.