Nelson DeMille
His work as an American author of action adventure and suspense novels is what DeMille is most directly identified with, a body of English-language fiction spanning thriller, adventure, and crime genres that he built across several decades.
DeMille was born on August 23, 1943, in Jamaica, and attended Elmont Memorial Junior–Senior High School before going on to study at Hofstra University. He went on to establish himself as a novelist writing in English, producing thrillers, adventure fiction, and crime fiction as a United States citizen throughout his life. Hofstra University later awarded him an honorary doctorate, recognizing his career as a writer.
DeMille died on September 17, 2024, in Mineola. The honorary doctorate from Hofstra University — the same institution where he had studied as a student — remains one of the concrete markers connecting his early education to his recognized standing as a novelist and writer of action adventure and suspense fiction.
Quotes by Nelson DeMille
I used the pen name because I knew I wanted to write better novels under my own name someday.
Chemical and biological attacks are scary and will kill a lot of people but don't rise to the level of nuclear.
There are Mafia families that have bought magnificent houses on the North Shore, although not yet the great estates because they don’t want that kind of high profile.
There are a lot of books about the passing of the English aristocracy, but the vast majority of Long Islanders don’t understand their own backyard. It’s a private preserve.
I only drink a little, but when I do, I become a different person, and that person drinks a lot.