John Sandford is the pseudonym of John Roswell Camp, an American author and journalist. He won the Pulitzer Prize in journalism in 1986, and was one of four finalists for the prize in 1980. He also was the winner of the Distinguished Writing Award of the American Society of Newspaper Editors for 1985.

He is the author of thirty-one published novels, all of which have appeared, in one format or another, on the New York Times Best-Seller lists. He is also the author of two non-fiction books, one on plastic surgery and one on art. His books have been translated into most European languages, as well as Japanese and Korean. He is the principal sponsor of a major archaeological dig in Israel, and is on the board of directors of the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research.

John was born February 23, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended Cedar Rapids Catholic and public schools, graduating from Washington Senior High School in 1962. He received a bachelor's degree in American Studies in 1966, and a master's degree in journalism in 1971, both from the University of Iowa.

After graduating from the University of Iowa in 1966, he spent two years in the U.S. Army, during which he served in Korea. He then worked as a reporter for the in Missouri before returning to University of Iowa in 1970 for his master's degree.

He continues to do occasional journalism, and was embedded with the 2-147 Air Assault Battalion during the Iraq War. He is the principal financial backer of the Beth-Shean Valley Archaeological Project in the Jordan River Valley of Israel.

In addition to archaeology, he is deeply interested in art (painting) and photography; he occasionally writes on-line articles on both. He enjoys reading history. He is interested in a number of outdoor sports, including hunting and fishing, canoeing, and skiing.

He has homes in Lakeland Shores, Minnesota and in Pasadena, California.

His website: www.johnsandford.org