Stephen Coonts is a highly accomplished American author, best known for his thriller and suspense novels. Born on July 19, 1946, in Buckhannon, West Virginia, Coonts earned a B.A. degree in political science at West Virginia University in 1968. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Navy as an aviator during the Vietnam War, where he flew the A-6 Intruder medium attack plane and served on two combat cruises aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). During his military service, Coonts accumulated 1600 hours in the A-6 Intruder and earned several Navy commendations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After being honorably discharged from the Navy in 1977, Coonts pursued a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at the University of Colorado, graduating in 1979. He then worked as an oil and gas lawyer for several companies, entertaining his writing interests in his free time. Coonts published short stories in various publications before writing his first novel, Flight of the Intruder, in 1986. The book became a bestseller, spending 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists in hardcover, and launched his career as a novelist.
Coonts' career as an author spans over 27 years, during which he has written 27 books, both individually and with various co-writers. Out of these, 17 have been declared New York Times Best Sellers. He is most notable for his series featuring the character Jake Grafton, which has gained popularity worldwide. Coonts' books have been widely translated and republished in several countries, including France, Germany, The Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Russia, China, Japan, Czechoslovakia, Serbia, Latvia, and Israel.
Today, Coonts continues to write and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with his wife and son. He has been honored with several awards for his work, including the U.S. Naval Institute's Author of the Year Award for the year 1986 for his novel, Flight of the Intruder. Coonts is also a trustee of West Virginia Wesleyan College and was inducted into the West Virginia University Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 1992.