author
James Brough
1918–2001
A prolific biographer and storyteller, he wrote lively books about celebrities, political families, and big American names. His work also reached television, including writing credits connected to the historical drama Lillie.
1 Audiobook
The whole truth and nothing but
by Hedda Hopper, James Brough
About the author
James Brough was an American writer and biographer born in 1918 and died on July 6, 2001, in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Sources available online consistently describe him as a bestselling biographer with a strong interest in famous public figures from entertainment, politics, and modern history.
His books covered a wide range of subjects, from Hedda Hopper and the Dionne quintuplets to Alice Roosevelt Longworth and the Woolworth family. That range helps explain his appeal: he wrote about people whose lives were already dramatic, then shaped those stories for general readers rather than specialists.
Brough is also remembered for screen work, most notably a writing credit on the 1978 television miniseries Lillie. Even from the limited biographical record now easy to verify, he stands out as a dependable popular historian of fame, family dynasties, and larger-than-life personalities.