Paul Gallico was born in New York City in 1897. Although his family was very talented in music, Gallico pursued writing and sports. He began his career as a sportswriter for a newspaper. Gallico liked to challenge leading sports figures in contests, which he never won but which gave him interesting material for his writing. In 1936 he began writing fiction. The Snow Goose, published in 1940, became a great success. The novella was later made into a screenplay. Gallico continued to write stories and novels, including The Poseidon Adventure, and traveled and lived in many places. He died in Monaco in 1976.