Peter Benchley

Peter Benchley (1940–2006) was an American writer and journalist. He worked for the Washington Post and Newsweek and later served as a speechwriter for President Lyndon B. Johnson. His 1974 debut novel, Jaws, became an international bestseller. In the novel, Benchley drew on reports of shark attacks along the New Jersey coast in 1916. Steven Spielberg adapted the book for film in 1975. Until his death, Benchley also worked to promote public understanding of sharks.