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Robert Kurson Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Robert Kurson

Robert Kurson

Robert Kurson Biography

Robert Kurson is an American author, best known for his 2004 bestselling book, Shadow Divers, the true story of two Americans who discover a World War II German U-boat sunk 60 miles off the coast of New Jersey.

He grew up in the Chicago suburbs. He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin, then a law degree from Harvard Law School. He practiced real estate law, but quit to pursue a writing career. To make ends meet, he worked full time as a drapery and window blinds installer, then as a Wal-Mart options trader at the Chicago Board Options Exchange.

He was hired by the Chicago Sun-Times as a data entry clerk, a position which led to a full-time features writing job. In 2000, Esquire published My Favorite Teacher, his first magazine story, which became a finalist for a National Magazine Award.

He moved from the Sun-Times to Chicago magazine, then to Esquire, where he is a contributing editor. His stories have appeared in Rolling Stone, The New York Times Magazine, and other publications.

Kurson also wrote the nonfiction book Crashing Through, which was published in 2007. Crashing Through recounts the story of Mike May, a prominent American entrepreneur and sports enthusiast, who regains his eyesight after a lifetime of blindness. Kurson based the book on his 2005 award-winning article Into the Light in Esquire magazine.

He lives in the Chicago suburbs.

Robert Kurson's website

This bio was last updated on 09/19/2014. In a perfect world, we would like to keep all of BookBrowse's biographies up to date, but with many thousands of lives to keep track of it's simply impossible to do. So, if the date of this bio is not recent, you may wish to do an internet search for a more current source, such as the author's website or social media presence. If you are the author or publisher and would like us to update this biography, send the complete text and we will replace the old with the new.

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Books by this Author

Books by Robert Kurson at BookBrowse
Pirate Hunters jacket Crashing Through jacket Shadow Divers jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Robert Kurson but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Caroline Alexander

    Caroline Alexander

    Caroline Alexander was born in Florida to British parents and has lived in Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. She studied philosophy and theology at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and has a doctorate in classics from Columbia ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Pirate Hunters

    Try:
    The Bounty
    by Caroline Alexander

  • Marie Arana

    Marie Arana

    Marie Arana was born in Lima, Peru. She is the author of the memoir American Chica, a finalist for the National Book Award; two novels, Cellophane and Lima Nights; and The Writing Life, a collection from her well-known column... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Pirate Hunters

    Try:
    Silver, Sword, and Stone
    by Marie Arana

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