About the Author

John Launois was born in France in l928, survived the German Occupation during World War II, and became an American citizen in l954. He soon became one of the top photojournalists in the world. His photographs appeared both inside and on the covers of all the great magazines of the day: Fortune, Time, Life, Newsweek, Look, Rolling Stone, National Geographic. He died in 2002. The New York Times described him as "one of the top international photojournalists in the l960s, covering wars, revolutions, the Beatles, environmental pollution, the Soviet Union and Malcolm X's final pilgrimage to Cairo." Chris Pan Launois is John Launois' son and coauthor. He was born in New York City in l964. He is a musician and composer, founded of the band Pan, and attended New York University Film School.