Arthur Hailey
A master of the 'techno-thriller' who turned the inner workings of hotels, airports, and banks into the engines of global bestsellers.
1920–2004 (age 84)·British Canadian writer·Birthday: April 5·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Arthur Hailey possessed a singular talent: he could make the most complex system—a city's power grid, a hospital's emergency room, a bank's trading floor—feel like a ticking time bomb. Born in England, he served as a pilot in the RAF during WWII, an experience that gave him a taste for high-stakes drama. After emigrating to Canada, he found success in television writing before unleashing his meticulous brand of fiction. Hailey didn't just set stories in industries; he dissected them. He spent months researching, interviewing everyone from hotel managers to air traffic controllers, to ensure every detail rang true. The result was a string of mammoth bestsellers like 'Hotel', 'Airport', and 'The Moneychangers' that readers devoured for both their gripping plots and their insider knowledge. His books became cultural events, often adapted into major films or TV series that cemented their place in the popular imagination. Hailey proved that the modern world, in all its mechanical and corporate complexity, was fertile ground for page-turning suspense.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Arthur was born in 1920, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arthur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1920
#1 Movie
Way Down East
Arthur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1920Born
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1925Started school
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1933Became a teenager
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1936Could drive
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1938Could vote
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1941Turned 21
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1950Turned 30
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 40
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 50
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 60
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 70
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 80
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2004Died at 84
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
Key Achievements
- Wrote 'Airport', a 1968 novel that spawned a hugely successful film franchise and defined a genre.
- His novel 'Hotel' was adapted into a long-running television series starring James Brolin.
- Sold an estimated 170 million copies of his books worldwide, translated into nearly 40 languages.
- His 1975 novel 'The Moneychangers' was made into a celebrated NBC television miniseries.
- Authored eleven major bestselling novels, each centered on a different commercial or industrial sector.
Did You Know?
His first major success was the TV play 'Flight into Danger', which later inspired the novel and film 'Zero Hour!'
He was a former advertising and sales promotion manager for a trucking firm before becoming a full-time writer.
Hailey held both British and Canadian citizenship.
He and his wife Sheila lived in the Bahamas for many years for tax reasons.
His novel 'Wheels' about the Detroit auto industry was published the same year he became a Canadian citizen.
“I write about ordinary people caught in the gears of a big machine.”
