Jon Meacham is a historian, journalist, and presidential biographer. He graduated from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, with a bachelor’s degree in English literature. His academic background and early interests laid the groundwork for his future career in journalism and historical writing.

Meacham began his professional career in journalism, working his way up from local Tennessee newspapers to national publications like Newsweek, where he eventually served as editor-in-chief. His first presidential biography was Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship (2003), followed later by American Lion. Since then, he has published biographies of Thomas Jefferson, George H. W. Bush, and Abraham Lincoln. These works are noted for their rigorous research and detailed, accessible narratives that bring complex historical figures and periods to life. This approach, which involves detailed examination of his subjects’ personal and professional lives, has made Meacham’s books popular among a broad readership, contributing to public understanding of American history. With its emphasis on the Impact of Personal Character on Public Duty and the Intersection of Private Lives and Public Roles, American Lion continues in the same vein.

Apart from his written work, Meacham is active in the public speaking circuit and has served as a visiting professor at multiple institutions, where he lectures on history and politics.