Axel Madsen (May 27, 1930 – April 23, 2007) was a Danish-American biographer and journalist.
Born in Copenhagen and raised in Paris, Madsen turned from music to writing in the early 1950s, initially for the Paris edition of the New York Herald Tribune. In 1956 he moved to Canada and began working for United Press International. He moved to Hollywood in the early 1960s and began writing biographies.
Books
Madsen wrote on topics such as cross country truck drivers and the CBS news magazine "60 minutes". He was best known for his biographies of Hollywood celebrities, fashion pioneers, and business titans. Biographies included Billy Wilder, Barbara Stanwyck, Coco Chanel, Greta Garbo, John Jacob Astor, Jacques Cousteau, Yves St. Laurent, André Malraux, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, William C. Durant, William Wyler, and John Huston. In 1980, he wrote a science fiction novel called Unisave.
Partial list of books published:
1969 : Billy Wilder 1973 : William Wyler: the authorized biography 1975 : The new Hollywood; American movies in the '70s 1977 : Hearts and minds : the common journey of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre 1976 : Malraux : a biography 1978 : John Huston: a biography 1979 : Living for design : the Yves Saint Laurent story 1980 : Private power : multinational corporations for the survival of our planet 1980 : Unisave 1982 : Open road : truckin' on the biting edge 1984 : 60 Minutes: The Power and Politics of America’s Most Popular TV News Show 1986 : Cousteau : an unauthorized biography 1989 : Gloria and Joe 1989 : Silk roads: : the Asian adventures of Clara and André Malraux 1989 : Sonia Delaunay: artist of the lost generation 1990 : Coco Chanel : a biographyPublished with the title 1995 : Stanwyck: A Biography 1996 : The Sewing Circle : Hollywood's greatest secret : female stars who loved other women 1999 : The deal maker : how William C. Durant made General Motors 2001 : John Jacob Astor : America's first multimillionaire 2002 : The Marshall Fields
Family Madsen was married to Midori.
Death He died of pancreatic cancer in Los Angeles at the age of 76.Noland, Claire (April 29, 2007). Axel Madsen, 76; writer chronicled the lives of celebrities, business giants. Los Angeles Times
References
Sources LA Times obituary