About Bob Batchelor

Bob Batchelor is a critically-acclaimed cultural historian and biographer. He has published books on Stan Lee, Bob Dylan, The Great Gatsby, Mad Men, and John Updike. His latest books are Stan Lee: A Life; Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel, Young Adult Edition; and Roadhouse Blues: Morrison, the Doors, and the Death Days of the Sixties. Rookwood: The Rediscovery and Revival of an American Icon, An Illustrated History won the 2021 Independent Book Award in Fine Arts. The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition’s Evil Genius won the 2020 Independent Book Award for Historical Biography. Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel was a finalist for the 2018 Ohioana Book Award for Nonfiction. Bob’s books have been translated into a dozen languages and his work has appeared in Time, the New York Times, Cincinnati Enquirer, and Los Angeles Times. Bob is also the creator and host of the podcast John Updike: American Writer, American Life. He has appeared as an on-air commentator for The National Geographic Channel, PBS NewsHour, and NPR. Bob hosted “TriState True Crime” on WCPO’s Cincy Lifestyle television show. Bob earned his doctorate in American Literature from the University of South Florida. He has taught at universities in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as Vienna, Austria. Bob lives in Raleigh with his wife Suzette and their teenage daughters.