Landon Y. (Lanny) Jones is an author and magazine editor. His most recent book is "Celebrity Nation: How America Evolved into a Culture of Fans and Followers," to be published in May 2023 by Beacon Press. His previous books are "William Clark and the Shaping of the West" (2004), "The Essential Lewis and Clark" (2000), and "Great Expectations: America and the Baby Boom Generation" (1980). The latter coined the phrase “baby boomer” and was a finalist for the American Book Award in Nonfiction. 

Jones edited the Princeton Alumni Weekly from 1969-1974 and wrote for Time and People before becoming head editor of Money in 1984. From 1989-97, he was the head editor of People magazine at Time Inc., the most successful magazine in publishing history. His many magazine articles have included cover stories for Time, The Atlantic Monthly, Life, and the New York Times Sunday Travel section.

In 2015, Jones received the Henry R. Luce Award for Lifetime Achievement from Time Inc. He is from St. Louis, Missouri, and graduated from Princeton University in 1966.