Sarah Bedell Smith (born May 27, 1948) is an American journalist and biographer. She has been a contributing editor for ''

Vanity Fair Vanity Fair may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Literature * Vanity Fair, a location in '' The Pilgrim's Progress'' (1678), by John Bunyan * ''Vanity Fair'' (novel), 1848, by William Makepeace Thackeray * ''Vanity Fair'' (magazines), the ...

'' since 1996. Previously, she was a cultural news reporter for ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' and ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...

.'' She has written biographies of political, cultural, and business figures in the United States and members of the British royal family.

Early life and education

Sarah Rowbotham was born in

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Bryn Mawr, pronounced , from Welsh language, Welsh for big hill, is a census-designated place (CDP) located across three townships: Radnor Township, Pennsylvania, Radnor Township and Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, Haverford Township in Delaw ...

. She is the daughter of Ruth (Kirk) and James Howard Rowbotham, a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...

and businessman. She grew up in the nearby town of

St. Davids St Davids or St David's ( cy, Tyddewi, , "David's house”) is a city and a community (named St Davids and the Cathedral Close) with a cathedral in Pembrokeshire, Wales, lying on the River Alun. It is the resting place of Saint David, ...

. She graduated from Radnor High School in 1966 and was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in November 2008. She earned her

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

from

Wheaton College Wheaton College may refer to: * Wheaton College (Illinois), a private Christian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois * Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Wheaton College is a private liberal arts college in Norton, Massachus ...

and

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast t ...

from

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is located in Pulitzer Hall on the university's Morningside Heights campus in New York City. Founded in 1912 by Joseph Pulitzer, Columbia Journalism School is one of the oldest journalism ...

, where she won the Robert Sherwood Memorial Travel-Study Scholarship and the Women's Press Club of New York Award.

Career

Smith spent her early career as a cultural news reporter for ''

'', ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...

'', and ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

.'' In 1996, she joined ''

'' as contributing editor.

Biographies

Throughout her career, Smith has written biographies on the lives of notable persons, including television personalities, socialites, politicians, and the British royal family. Smith's first book, ''Up The Tube: Prime-time TV and the Silverman Years'' (1981), focused on

Fred Silverman Fred Silverman (September 13, 1937 – January 30, 2020) was an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at all of the Big Three television networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as '' ...

, one time executive at NBC, ABC, and CBS. Smith's first official biography, ''In All His Glory,'' was published in 1990, chronicling the life of William S. Paley, former chairman of

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

. In 1996, Smith published ''Reflected Glory: The Life of Pamela Churchill Harriman'' about Pamela Harriman, an American diplomat and socialite. Her 1999 biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, ''

Diana in Search of Herself ''Diana in Search of Herself: Portrait of a Troubled Princess'' is one of the books about Diana, Princess of Wales. The book was written by best-selling author Sally Bedell Smith and was published by the Times Books in 1999. The book is the first ...

'' was included on multiple bestsellers lists, including ''

The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

'', ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...

'', and ''

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

.'' in 2004, Smith published a biography about

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

and

Jackie Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A po ...

titled ''Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House''. In 2007, Smith released ''For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton in the White House'' about the relationship between

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pla ...

and

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

. Her 2012 biography of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

, ''Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch'', also a ''New York Times'' bestseller. Smith served as playwright

Peter Morgan Peter Julian Robin Morgan, (10 April 1963) is a British screenwriter and playwright. He is the playwright behind '' The Audience'' and '' Frost/Nixon'' and the screenwriter of ''The Queen'' (2006), '' Frost/Nixon'' (2008), '' The Damned Unit ...

's consultant on the London and New York productions of '' The Audience'', his award-winning drama about Queen Elizabeth II and her prime ministers, starring

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom ...

. Smith's biography of

Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

, ''Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life'', was published by

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

on April 4, 2017. Awards She was awarded the Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Service Award in 1982. Her book, ''Elizabeth The Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch'' (2012), won the Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence and the 2012 Goodreads Choice Award for best book in history and biography.

Bibliography

*''Up the Tube: Prime-Time TV and the Silverman Years'' (Viking, 1981) * William S. Paley: ''In All His Glory: The Life of William S. Paley: The Legendary Tycoon and His Brilliant Circle'' (Simon & Schuster, 1990) ) * Pamela Churchill Harriman: ''Reflected Glory: The Life of Pamela Churchill Harriman'' (Simon & Schuster, 1996) *

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

: '' Diana in Search of Herself: Portrait of a Troubled Princess'' (Times Books, 1999) * The Kennedys: ''Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House'' (Random House, 2004) *

and

: ''For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton in the White House'' (Random House, 2007) *

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...

: ''Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch'' (Random House, 2012) *

: ''Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life'' (Random House, 2017)

References

External links

* *
''Booknotes'' interview with Smith on ''In All His Glory'', December 9, 1990.Interview
with Smith on "New Books in Biography" {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Sally Bedell 1948 births Living people American biographers American newspaper editors American television critics American women journalists Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni The New York Times people Time (magazine) people Vanity Fair (magazine) people Wheaton College (Massachusetts) alumni Women newspaper editors American women biographers 21st-century American women