Michael French was born in Los Angeles, California, on December 2, 1944. The son of Dr. Richard and Marjorie Carson French, he attended Stanford University and graduated with a B.A. in English in 1966. A year later he received an M. S. degree in journalism from Northwestern University.

After a two-year stint in the U.S.

Army, French married Patricia Goodkind, and they have two children, Alison and Timothy. He and his family currently reside in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A man of varied avocations, French designs and builds adobe houses. Although he cites tennis and cycling as sporting interests, French is a serious mountain trekker who has walked interesting terrains not only in this country but in several remote areas in foreign lands.

Before resuming a professional writing career in 1977, French held positions in New York City in public relations and journalism. His varied career...