Paul Bede Johnson was an English journalist, historian, speechwriter, and author. Johnson first came to prominence in the 1950s as a journalist writing for, and later editing, the New Statesman magazine. While associated with the left in his early career, he became a conservative popular historian. Johnson was educated at the Jesuit independent school Stonyhurst College, and at Magdalen College, Oxford. 

A prolific writer, Johnson wrote over 50 books and contributed to numerous magazines and newspapers. Beginning with Modern Times (1985), Paul Johnson’s books are acknowledged masterpieces of historical analysis. He was a regular columnist for Forbes and The Spectator, and his work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications.