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Harold Robbins

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Harold Robbins was one of the most successful American authors ever. He wrote over 25 books that became best-sellers. These stories were so popular that people bought over 750 million copies. His work was translated into 32 different languages around the world.

People enjoyed his stories because they were fast-moving and full of excitement. He often wrote about high society, money, and power. His books helped make him a very famous name in literature.

Robbins had many different jobs before he became a full-time writer. He worked as an errand boy and a bookies' runner. He also worked as an inventory clerk in a grocery store.

From 1940 to 1957, he worked at Universal Pictures. He started there as a simple clerk. Over time, he worked his way up to become an executive. These experiences helped him understand how the film industry worked.

His life began in New York City in 1916. He was born to parents who had moved from the Russian Empire. His father worked as a pharmacist.

When he was 15, Robbins left high school to join the U.S. Navy. He later claimed to have been a survivor of a submarine accident. However, the records show no U.S. submarines were torpedoed during the 1930s. He eventually moved to places like the French Riviera and Monte Carlo.

Many of Robbins's books were turned into famous movies or shows. His 1952 book, A Stone for Danny Fisher, became the film King Creole in 1958. This movie featured the famous singer Elvis Presley.

In 1961, he wrote The Carpetbaggers, which tells a story from New York to California. A producer named Joseph E. Levine bought the rights to that book in 1962. In 1963, Levine paid Robbins $1 million for the rights to his next book, The Adventurers. This book was inspired by his time in the mountains of Colombia.

Even after he died in 1997, Robbins's name stayed in the news. He passed away at age 81 from respiratory heart failure.

New books have been published using his notes and unfinished stories. These are often written by ghostwriters, which are people who write books for others. One writer, Junius Podrug, has worked on many of these books. Robbins is remembered today with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His life showed how a person can move from many small jobs to becoming a global success.

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