Irving Stone

Irving Stone was born on July 14, 1903, in San Francisco, California. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and held a Master's degree from the University of Southern California. Stone gained fame with the publication of "Lust for Life," the vivid biographical novel of Vincent van Gogh. He is also recognized as one of the most authoritative biographers. Notable works include the biographies of Jack London ("Sailor on Horseback"), Michelangelo ("The Agony and the Ecstasy"), Eugene V. Debs ("Adversary in the House"), Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd ("Love is Eternal"), Charles Darwin ("The Origin"), and Heinrich Schliemann ("The Greek Treasure"). In 1959, he was honored with the Spur Award for his work "Men to Match My Mountains" and was an honorary member of the Western Writers of America. He passed away on August 26, 1989, at the age of 86.