Biographie
Arthur Hailey was born on April 5, 1920, in Luton, England. He chose to become a full-time author in 1956 after the success of his original television drama Flight Into Danger (1956). Over the following years, he wrote teleplays for renowned dramatic series such as Playhouse 90 (1956), Kraft Mystery Theatre (1947), The United States Steel Hour (1953), Goodyear-Philco Playhouse (1955), and Studio One (1948). Shortly thereafter, Hailey transitioned to novel writing. His drama Flight Into Danger was adapted into the novel Runway Zero-Eight (1958). In 1959, his second bestseller, The Final Diagnosis, was published, followed by his third, In High Places, in 1961.
Hailey spent four years crafting his next novel, Hotel (1965), which stayed on the national bestseller lists for an entire year. Airport (1968) surpassed that success, remaining on the national lists for over a year and holding the number one position on The New York Times bestseller list for an impressive 30 weeks. Subsequent novels Wheels (1971), The Moneychangers (1975), and Overload (1979) also reached number one on the national bestseller lists, cementing Hailey’s reputation as one of the most popular novelists of his time.
In 1979, Arthur Hailey announced his retirement. During this period, he was diagnosed with a serious illness and underwent a quadruple bypass heart surgery. The operation was highly successful, leaving Hailey revitalized and full of creative energy. Encouraged by his wife, Sheila, he channeled this energy into writing another book, resulting in the acclaimed Strong Medicine.
