William Dietrich is a bestselling American author, known for his historical fiction, thriller novels, and non-fiction environmental books. He was born on September 29, 1951, in Tacoma, Washington, and graduated with a journalism degree from Fairhaven College at the Western Washington University. Before turning to fiction, Dietrich worked as a journalist and covered various significant events, such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.
Dietrich began his writing career in 1992 with the release of his debut book, 'The Final Forest,' a nonfiction work about the Pacific Northwest. His first fiction novel, 'Ice Reich,' came out in 1998. He gained significant popularity for his Ethan Gage series, which is set during the Napoleonic wars and has been translated into 28 languages. The series follows the adventures of the American hero Ethan Gage, who gets entangled in various mysteries and conspiracies.
In addition to his Ethan Gage series, Dietrich has written several standalone novels and non-fiction works. His other notable works include 'The Three Emperors,' 'The Barbed Crown,' 'Napoleon's Rules: Life and Career Lessons from Bonaparte,' and 'The North Cascades: Finding Beauty and Renewal in the Wild Nearby.' Dietrich's writing is informed by his extensive travels, having visited places like the South Pole, the Arctic, Egypt, Israel, and Jordan, among others. He currently resides in Anacortes, WA, and enjoys reading, watching movies, and exploring the outdoors in his free time.