Larry Collins, born John Lawrence Collins Jr., was an American writer and journalist.

He was born in West Hartford, Connecticut, and was educated at the Loomis Chaffee Institute in Windsor, Connecticut. He graduated from Yale with a Bachelor of Arts in 1951.

Collins initially worked in the advertising department of Procter and Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio, before being conscripted into the United States Army. While serving in the public affairs office of the Allied Headquarters in Paris (1953-1955), he met Dominique Lapierre, with whom he would go on to write several best-selling historical books over the span of 43 years.

After his military service, Collins returned to Procter and Gamble, becoming the product manager of the new foods division in 1955. However, disillusioned with commerce, he embarked on a career in journalism.

In 1956, he joined the Paris bureau of United Press International and became the news editor in Rome the following year. His works with Lapierre include acclaimed titles that have been translated into multiple languages.