Don Winslow
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Don Winslow (born October 31, 1953) is an American political activist and retired author best known for his crime novels including '' Savages'', ''The Force'' and the Cartel Trilogy.


Early life

Winslow was born on
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
. He grew up in Perryville, a beach town near the village of Matunuck, Rhode Island. He credits his parents for preparing him to become a writer: his mother was a librarian and his father was a
non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...
in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
who told stories and invited Navy friends around who told more. They inspired Winslow to become a storyteller himself. He majored in African history at the
University of Nebraska A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
."Hi. My name is Don Winslow, and I'm a writing addict"
, by John Wilkens, ''
San Diego Union-Tribune ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868. Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...
'', June 8, 2008. Retrieved July 07, 2010.
Winslow later earned a master's degree in military history.


Career


Early career

After earning his master's degree, Winslow worked as an analyst for the
Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs ...
in South Africa in the 1980s, before working as a safari guide in Kenya. Winslow returned to the U.S. in the late 1980s to work as a
private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI; also known as a private detective, an inquiry agent or informally a wikt:private eye, private eye) is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. ...
.


Writing

While traveling between Asia, Africa, Europe and America, Winslow wrote his first novel, ''A Cool Breeze on the Underground'', which was nominated for an
Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America which is based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards hon ...
and a Shamus Award for Best First Novel. Winslow's second book, ''The Trail to Buddha's Mirror'', continued the Neal Carey saga. He followed that up with three more Neal Carey novels, ''Way Down on the High Lonely'', for which he was a
Dilys Award The Dilys Award was presented every year from 1992 to 2014 by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. It was given to the mystery title of the year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. The Independent Mystery Booksell ...
finalist, ''A Long Walk Up the Water Slide'', and ''While Drowning in the Desert''. For his next novel, Winslow broke from the Neal Carey character to write the standalone ''Isle of Joy'', about an ex-CIA agent who is pulled back into the world of espionage, this time as the target of his former agency and the FBI. A film and publishing deal for his novel ''The Death and Life of Bobby Z'', also a Barry Award finalist, for Best Novel, allowed Winslow to become a full-time writer and settle in California, the setting for many of his books. Winslow co-created the NBC television series '' UC/Undercover'' with his friend and agent
Shane Salerno Shane Salerno (born November 27, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer, and Chief Creative Officer of The Story Factory, which has put 32 books on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list, with seven books hitting #1. His writing credits in ...
. The series ran one season and aired 13 episodes. Winslow then published the Shamus Award finalist ''California Fire and Life'', and ''Looking for a Hero''. In 2005, Winslow published what would become the first book in his epic "Cartel Trilogy," '' The Power of the Dog'', about obsessive DEA Agent Art Keller's quest to take down an El Chapo-esque Sinaloan cartel. The book earned rave reviews around the world and was a finalist for the Barry,
Macavity Macavity the Mystery Cat, also called the Hidden Paw, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of T. S. Eliot's 1939 poetry book '' Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats''. He also appears in the Andrew Lloyd Webber 1981 musical ''Ca ...
, Hammett, and Dilys awards. Winslow then wrote ''The Winter of Frankie Machine'', which garnered interest all over Hollywood and was eventually bought by
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
for
Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...
to star in and
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
to direct. During the development phase, screenwriter Eric Roth gave De Niro a book to read as research for the role. De Niro became so enthralled with that book – '' I Heard You Paint Houses'' – that he and Scorsese ended up adapting it into '' The Irishman''. Winslow took it all in stride, even penning a humorous article on
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
jokingly titled “I Blame Eric Roth.” Winslow followed ''Frankie Machine'' with the first of his two Boone Daniels books, ''Dawn Patrol''. Winslow was yet again a finalist for the Barry and Dilys Awards. In 2010, Winslow published '' Savages'', which was voted a top-10 book of the year by ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
,
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
,
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
, The Chicago Sun Times,'' and author
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
, and was a Barry, Dilys, and Steel Dagger Award finalist. The rights were quickly scooped up by award-winning filmmaker
Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born ) is an American filmmaker. Stone is an acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War and American politics to musical film, musical Biographical film, biopics and Crime film, crime dramas. He has ...
. Winslow and
Shane Salerno Shane Salerno (born November 27, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer, and Chief Creative Officer of The Story Factory, which has put 32 books on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list, with seven books hitting #1. His writing credits in ...
adapted the screenplay, and the film went on to star
Aaron Taylor-Johnson Aaron Perry Taylor-Johnson (né Johnson; born 13 June 1990) is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of the title character in '' Kick-Ass'' (2010) and its sequel '' Kick-Ass 2'' (2013), as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe charact ...
, Taylor Kitsch,
Blake Lively Blake Ellender Brown (born August 25, 1987), known professionally as Blake Lively, is an American actress. A daughter of actor Ernie Lively, she made her professional debut in his directorial project ''Sandman'' (1998). She had her breakthrou ...
,
Benicio del Toro Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez (; born February 19, 1967) is a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican actor. List of awards and nominations received by Benicio del Toro, His accolades include an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a British Academy ...
,
Salma Hayek Salma Valgarma Hayek Pinault ( , ; ; born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa (1989 TV series), Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well a ...
, and
John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He began acting in television before transitioning into a leading man in films. List of awards and nominations received by John Travolta, His accolades include a Primetime Em ...
.   After ''Savages'', Winslow returned to the world of ultra-California cool cop-turned-PI Boone Daniels in ''The Gentlemen's Hour''. The book was a 2010 finalist for the Gold Dagger Award. In 2011, Winslow wrote another standalone, ''
Satori ''Satori'' () is a Japanese Buddhist term for " awakening", "comprehension; understanding". The word derives from the Japanese verb '' satoru''. In the Zen Buddhist tradition, ''satori'' refers to a deep experience of '' kenshō'', "seeing ...
'', a prequel to
Trevanian Rodney William Whitaker (June 12, 1931 – December 14, 2005) was an American film scholar and writer who wrote several novels under the pen name Trevanian. Whitaker wrote in a wide variety of genres, achieved bestseller status, and publishe ...
's 1979 novel '' Shibumi''. Winslow again earned rave reviews from critics and colleagues alike. ''Satori'' was purchased by
Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
and
Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...
's Appian Way for DiCaprio to produce and star. The following year, Winslow returned to the world of '' Savages'', writing the prequel ''The Kings of Cool''. Yet again, his book was a
Gold Dagger The CWA Gold Dagger is an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association of the United Kingdom since 1960 for the best crime novel of the year. From 1955 to 1959, the organization named their top honor as the Crossed Red Herring Award. ...
finalist for Best Crime Novel of the Year. 2012 also saw Winslow given the Raymond Chandler Award, Italy's top lifetime achievement honor for masters of the thriller and noir literary genre. Past recipients have included
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
,
John Le Carré David John Moore Cornwell (19 October 193112 December 2020), better known by his pen name John le Carré ( ), was a British author, best known for his espionage novels, many of which were successfully adapted for film or television. A "sophist ...
,
John Grisham John Ray Grisham Jr. (; born February 8, 1955) is an American novelist, lawyer, and former politician, known for his best-selling legal thrillers. According to the Academy of Achievement, American Academy of Achievement, Grisham has written 37 ...
, and
Elmore Leonard Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story author and screenwriter. He was, according to British journalist Anthony Lane, "hailed as one of the best crime writers in the land". His earliest no ...
. In 2015, Winslow published the second book in his Cartel Trilogy, ''The Cartel''. The book was an international success, earning starred reviews from ''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
'', ''
Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...
'', and ''
Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...
'', landing on Best Books of the Year lists for over sixty publications, including ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
,
The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is an American daily newspaper based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1891, ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region. The Seattle Time ...
,
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
,
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
,
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
,
Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...
,'' and many others. Fellow novelists
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
,
Michael Connelly Michael Joseph Connelly (born July 21, 1956) is an American author of Detective fiction, detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring Los Angeles Police Department, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and cr ...
,
James Ellroy Lee Earle "James" Ellroy (born March 4, 1948) is an American crime fiction writer and essayist. Ellroy has become known for a telegrammatic prose style in his most recent work, wherein he frequently omits connecting words and uses only short, ...
, and
Harlan Coben Harlan Coben (born January 4, 1962) is an American writer of mystery novels and thrillers. The plots of his novels often involve the resurfacing of unresolved or misinterpreted events in the past, murders, or fatal accidents and have multiple ...
also raved about ''The Cartel'', naming it one of Winslow's best. The book went on to win the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award, the RBA Prize for Crime Writing, and ''Los Angeles Times'' Book Prize. For his follow up to ''The Cartel'', Winslow wrote another standalone, ''The Force'', tackling corruption in the deepest recesses of the
NYPD The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
. ''The Force'' was named one of the Best Books of the Year by ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'',
NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
,
Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. The company operates approximately 600 retail stores across the United States. Barnes & Noble operates mainly through its B ...
, ''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
'', ''
The Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'', '' The Daily Mail'',
Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...
, and LitHub. In a seven-figure deal, Fox purchased the film rights for
James Mangold James Allen Mangold (born December 16, 1963) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Noted for his versatility in tackling a range of genres, Mangold made his debut as a film director with ''Heavy (film), Heavy'' (1995), and gai ...
to direct
Matt Damon Matthew Paige Damon ( ; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. He was ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars in 2007, and in 2010 was one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. He has received va ...
in a script adapted by award-winning screenwriter
Scott Frank A. Scott Frank (born March 10, 1960) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Frank has received two Academy Awards, Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay for '' ...
.   In 2019, Winslow published the third and final installment of his Cartel Trilogy, ''The Border.'' It was named one of the Best Books of the Year by ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
,
NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
,
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
,
The Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
,
The New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
,
The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...
,'' ''
The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
,''
Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...
, and many others. The film rights to the trilogy had originally been purchased by
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
but in 2019, due to the sprawling nature of the story and world therein,
FX Networks FX Networks, LLC, commonly known as FX Networks, is an American media company built around FX, FXX, and FX Movie Channel, plus their associated production company, FX Productions, and is a subsidiary of Disney General Entertainment Content, ...
acquired the rights from their sister studio to turn the novels into a TV series. Filming on the pilot is set to begin in late-2022. After concluding his Cartel Trilogy, Winslow published ''Broken'', a collection of six short novellas all centered around the themes of crime, corruption, vengeance, justice, loss, and betrayal. ''Broken'' also earned starred reviews from ''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
'' and ''
Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...
''. Winslow's next novel, ''City on Fire'', is the first book in a planned trilogy about the feuding Moretti and Murphy crime families in
Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...
, in the 1980s and 1990s. The novel received critical acclaim and its screen rights were acquired by Sony to be adapted into a television series. In addition to his novels, Winslow has published numerous short stories in anthologies and magazines such as ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...
'', the '' Los Angeles Times Magazine'' and ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
''. His columns have appeared in the '' Vanity Fair'', ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...
,
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers ...
'', CNN Online, and other outlets. In April 2022, Winslow announced his retirement from writing, to focus on his political video-making and activism. His ''City on Fire'' sequels are his final books. In 2023, he started a book club on Twitter.


Political views and activism

Winslow has spoken in favor of
gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms and ammunition by civilians. Most countries allow civilians to own firearms, bu ...
, drug legalisation and reducing incarceration rates for non-violent crimes. In 2016, Winslow wrote an
op-ed An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page," is a type of written prose commonly found in newspapers, magazines, and online publications. They usually represent a writer's strong and focused opinion on an issue of relevance to a targeted a ...
for ''Esquire'' arguing that the legalisation of marijuana exacerbated the war on drugs and cartel violence. In 2017, he criticized the border wall then-proposed by
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, saying, "You can build the biggest, best, most beautiful wall – it doesn't matter if the gates are open, and the gates are open 24/7." During the 2020 presidential election, Winslow became politically active online, using his own money to champion liberal causes and criticize Donald Trump and his agenda. Winslow and
Shane Salerno Shane Salerno (born November 27, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer, and Chief Creative Officer of The Story Factory, which has put 32 books on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list, with seven books hitting #1. His writing credits in ...
began creating political videos critical of the Trump administration for social media. On October 13, 2020, Don Winslow Films released a video critical of Trump prior to his campaign event in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. The video features
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
's song "
Streets of Philadelphia "Streets of Philadelphia" is a song written and performed by American rock musician Bruce Springsteen for the 1993 film ''Philadelphia'', starring Tom Hanks, an early mainstream film dealing with HIV/AIDS. Released as a single by Columbia Rec ...
" and has been viewed almost 10 million times. As of January 4, 2021, Winslow's videos had garnered over 135 million views. As of April 2022, the total view count was over 250 million. A
libel Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...
lawsuit was filed against Winslow on the basis of comments Winslow made in 2020 about an Irwin County Detention Center contractor, who Winslow had claimed performed illegal hysterectomies purportedly done at the direction of Donald Trump. In 2022 a district court ruled that the libel claims could go forward. In April 2023, Winslow told ''
The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation in New Zealand, ...
'' that he had no interest in entering politics.


Writing process

Winslow said he writes from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and then hikes six or seven miles before returning to work. He typically works on two books at a time, moving to the other when work on the first stalls. He said the longest he has gone without writing after a book is completed was five days. He has described writing as "an addiction"."Don Winslow on Surf Noir, Appeal Of Crime Fiction"
, by Jeffrey A. Trachtenbert, May 23, 2008, ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
''. Retrieved July 07, 2010.
The time it takes him to write a book varies. ''The Death and Life of Bobby Z'' was written on the train between
Dana Point, California Dana Point () is a city located in southern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 33,107 at the 2020 census. It has one of the few harbors along the Orange County coast; with ready access via State Route 1, it is a popu ...
and
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, one chapter per trip. '' The Power of the Dog'' took six years to research and write, including a trip to
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
to interview people with similar experiences as the book's characters.


Personal life

Winslow's career as an investigator often took him to California to look into
arson Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...
cases, as his storytelling skills helped explain cases to juries. In the mid-1990s, he moved to California with his wife, Jean, and their infant son, Thomas, and continued writing. They currently split their time between
Julian, California Julian is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,768, up from 1,502 at the time of the 2010 census. Julian is an official California Historical Landmark (No. 412). The Jul ...
, and Rhode Island. Winslow is an avid bird watcher.


Works


Neal Carey series

*''A Cool Breeze on the Underground'' (1991) *''The Trail to Buddha's Mirror'' (1992) *''Way Down on the High Lonely'' (1993) *''A Long Walk Up the Water Slide'' (1994) *''While Drowning in the Desert'' (1996)


The Cartel series

*'' The Power of the Dog'' (2005) *''The Cartel'' (2015) *''The Border'' (2019)


Boone Daniels series

*''The Dawn Patrol'' (2008) *''The Gentlemen's Hour'' (2009)


Savages series

*'' Savages'' (2010) *''The Kings of Cool'' (2012) (prequel to ''Savages'')


Frank Decker series

* 2014: ''Missing. New York'' (2014; not published in English) * 2016: ''Germany'' (2016; not published in English)


Danny Ryan series

* ''City on Fire'' (2022) * ''City of Dreams'' (2023) * ''City in Ruins'' (2024)


Standalone novels

*''Isle of Joy'' (''A Winter Spy'' under the pseudonym MacDonald Lloyd) (1996) *''The Death and Life of Bobby Z'' (1997) *''California Fire and Life'' (1999) *'' The Winter of Frankie Machine'' (2006) *''
Satori ''Satori'' () is a Japanese Buddhist term for " awakening", "comprehension; understanding". The word derives from the Japanese verb '' satoru''. In the Zen Buddhist tradition, ''satori'' refers to a deep experience of '' kenshō'', "seeing ...
'' (2011) *''Vengeance'' (2014; not published in English) *''The Force'' (2017)


Collections

* 2020: ''Broken''


Non-fiction

* 2004: ''Looking for a Hero'' (with Peter Maslowski),


Film, television, scripts, screenplays and video games

* '' UC: Undercover'' (TV series, co-creator) * ''Full Ride'' (film, co-writer) * '' Close to Home'' (2 episodes, writer) * '' Savages'' (co-writer, based on his novel) * ''Alexander Hamilton: In Worlds Unknown'' (script and film; New York Historical Society) * ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands''


Adaptations

* '' The Death and Life of Bobby Z'' (2007) * '' Savages'' (2012, co-written by Winslow) Upcoming adaptations * ''The Force'' * ''The Border'' * ''City on Fire'' * ''A Cool Breeze on the Underground''


Awards

Winslow won the 2012 Raymond Chandler Award at the Courmayeur Noir Festival. Previous winners include John le Carré, John Grisham and Michael Connelly. Awards by book: ''A Cool Breeze on the Underground'' * 1992 Finalist for
Edgar Edgar is a commonly used masculine English given name, from an Anglo-Saxon name ''Edgar'' (composed of ''wikt:en:ead, ead'' "rich, prosperous" and ''Gar (spear), gar'' "spear"). Like most Anglo-Saxon names, it fell out of use by the Late Midd ...
Best First * 1992 Finalist for Shamus Best First * 1994 Maltese Falcon Award, Japan ''Way Down on the High Lonely'' * 1994 Finalist
Dilys Award The Dilys Award was presented every year from 1992 to 2014 by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. It was given to the mystery title of the year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. The Independent Mystery Booksell ...
''The Death and Life of Bobby Z'' * 1998 Finalist Barry for Best Novel * 1998 Finalist Lefty Award ''California Fire and Life'' * 2000 Shamus for Best Novel * 2000 Finalist
Dilys Award The Dilys Award was presented every year from 1992 to 2014 by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. It was given to the mystery title of the year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. The Independent Mystery Booksell ...
''The Power of the Dog'' * 2005 Finalist Hammett Prize * 2006 Finalist Barry for Best Novel * 2006 Finalist
Dilys Award The Dilys Award was presented every year from 1992 to 2014 by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. It was given to the mystery title of the year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. The Independent Mystery Booksell ...
* 2006 Finalist
Macavity Award The Macavity Awards, established in 1987, are a group of literary awards presented annually to mystery writers. Nominated and voted upon annually by the members of the Mystery Readers International, the award is named for the "Macavity, mystery cat ...
for Best Novel * 2009 Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize * 2010 Maltese Falcon Award, Japan ''The Winter of Frankie Machine'' * 2010 Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize * 2011 Maltese Falcon Award, Japan ''The Dawn Patrol'' * 2009 Finalist Barry for Best Novel * 2009 Finalist
Dilys Award The Dilys Award was presented every year from 1992 to 2014 by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. It was given to the mystery title of the year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. The Independent Mystery Booksell ...
''The Gentlemen's Hour'' * 2010 Finalist
Gold Dagger The CWA Gold Dagger is an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association of the United Kingdom since 1960 for the best crime novel of the year. From 1955 to 1959, the organization named their top honor as the Crossed Red Herring Award. ...
(Duncan Lawrie Dagger) ''Savages'' * 2010 Finalist
Dilys Award The Dilys Award was presented every year from 1992 to 2014 by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. It was given to the mystery title of the year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. The Independent Mystery Booksell ...
* 2011 Finalist Barry for Best Novel * 2011 Finalist Steel Dagger ''The Kings of Cool'' * 2013 Finalist
Gold Dagger The CWA Gold Dagger is an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association of the United Kingdom since 1960 for the best crime novel of the year. From 1955 to 1959, the organization named their top honor as the Crossed Red Herring Award. ...
(Duncan Lawrie Dagger) ''The Cartel'' *2015 RBA Prize for Crime Writing (Spain), the world's most lucrative crime fiction prize at €125,000. *2016 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger given by CWA


References


External links


Don Winslow's Website


Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, who served as a film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1977 to 1999, serving as chief critic for the last six years, and then a literary critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000, M ...
, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', 7 July 2010 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Winslow, Don 1953 births Living people American mystery writers Organized crime novelists Maltese Falcon Award winners Shamus Award winners 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American male novelists American male screenwriters People from Julian, California 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers