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William Broad

b. 1951

American science and technology writer

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About William Broad

Born 1951. William Broad is an American journalist.

William J. Broad (born March 7, 1951) is an American science journalist, author and a Senior Writer at The New York Times.

Early life and education Broad was born on March 7, 1951. He earned a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1977.

Career Broad is the author or co-author of eight books, including Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War (Simon & Schuster, 2001) which was a number-one New York Times Best Seller. His other titles include Betrayers of the Truth: Fraud and Deceit in the Halls of Science (co-written with Nicholas Wade, Simon & Schuster, 1982), Teller's War: The Top-Secret Story Behind the Star Wars Deception (Simon & Schuster, 1992), The Universe Below: Discovering the Secrets of the Deep Sea (Simon & Schuster, 1997), and The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards (Simon & Schuster, 2012). His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. His work focuses on the social repercussions of science.

Awards Broad has won two shared Pulitzer Prizes, an News and Documentary Emmy Award, and an Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award. The 1986 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism recognized New York Times staff coverage of U.S. antimissile defense in space, or Star Wars: "a six-part comprehensive series on the Strategic Defense Initiative, which explored the scientific, political and foreign policy issues involved in 'Star Wars'." The 1987 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting recognized New York Times staff coverage of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster: "the aftermath of the Challenger explosion, which included stories that identified serious flaws in the shuttle's design and in the administration of America's space program." In 2002, the PBS Nova documentary Bioterror won a News and Documentary Emmy Award; it detailed the threat of bioterrorism and featured the work of Broad and his fellow co-authors of Germs. In 2005 he and New York Times colleague David E. Sanger were Pulitzer finalists in the Explanatory Reporting category for their aggressive reporting and lucid writing that cast light on the shadowy process of nuclear proliferation". In 2007, he shared a DuPont Award (with the New York Times team, Investigation Discovery and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism for the documentary, Nuclear Jihad: Can Terrorists Get the Bomb?

Publications With Judith Miller and Stephen Engelberg, Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War The Publishing Game: Getting More for Less (in the journal Science, 1981) With Nicholas Wade, Betrayers of the Truth: Fraud and Deceit in the Halls of Science. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1983. . Star Warriors: A Penetrating Look into the Lives of the Young Scientists Behind Our Space Age Weaponry, Simon & Schuster (1985) . Teller's War: The Top-Secret Story Behind the Star Wars Deception, Simon & Schuster (1992) . The Universe Below (1997) New York: Simon & Schuster. Also The Oracle: The Lost Secrets and Hidden Messages of Ancient Delphi (2006). New York: Penguin Press. Also The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards (2012). New York: Simon & Schuster. "A Spy’s Path: Iowa to A-Bomb to Kremlin Honor", The New York Times (Nov. 12, 2007)

Reviews Some of Broad's works are reviewed in:

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Wisconsin–Madison, Webster University
Awards
Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting; Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting
Also known as
William J. Broad

People in William Broad's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped William Broad's

Frequently asked questions

Who is William Broad?

American science and technology writer

When was William Broad born?

William Broad was born on 7 March 1951.

What is William Broad's occupation?

William Broad is a journalist.

What nationality is William Broad?

William Broad is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: William Broad

· Wikidata: Q8005947

· DBpedia: William Broad

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Broad. https://biography.guide/william-broad/

MLA: "William Broad." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-broad/.

Chicago: "William Broad." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-broad/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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