William S. Cohen is an accomplished American author, politician, and lawyer. He was born in Bangor, Maine, in 1940, to a Jewish father who had immigrated from Russia and a Protestant Irish mother. Growing up, Cohen excelled in basketball and was even inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame of New England. He completed his schooling at Bangor High School in 1958 and went on to attend Bowdoin College, where he graduated cum laude with a BA in Latin in 1962. During his time in college, Cohen was a member of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity's Kappa chapter.
After graduating from college, Cohen attended Boston University School of Law and earned his Bachelor of Laws degree cum laude in 1965. He then became a partner at a law firm in Bangor and served as an assistant attorney for Penobscot County from 1968 to 1970. In addition to his legal career, Cohen also taught business administration at the Maine University and was an instructor at Husson College in Bangor. He served as the vice president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of Maine until 1972 and was a fellow at the JFK Politics Institute at Harvard University.
As an author, Cohen is known for his thriller and suspense novels, as well as his non-fiction books and poetry collection. He has written several standalone books, including "Double Man" and "A Baker's Nickel," as well as a thriller series featuring the chief protagonist Sean Falcone. Cohen's political career includes serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and as Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001. He draws on his experience in international affairs and defense planning to inform the plots of his books.