Peter Benchley
Novelist
American author who wrote the 1974 bestselling novel, Jaws, which was later adapted into a popular Steven Spielberg film. Benchley's other works include The Deep (1976) and The Island (1979).
He grew up in New York City and graduated from Harvard University. Early in his career, he worked for both The Washington Post and Newsweek and also served as a speech writer for President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Jaws remained on the American bestseller list for forty-four weeks after its publication in 1974.
His brother, Nat Benchley, became an actor and an author. Peter Benchley and his wife, Wendy Wesson, were married for over forty years.
He was best known for writing Jaws, which director Steven Spielberg later turned into a film.