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William Diehl (/diːl/; December 4, 1924 – November 24, 2006) was an American novelist and photojournalist.

Biography

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During World War II, Diehl lied about his age to join the U.S. Army Air Corps at 17, serving as a ball turret gunner on a B-24 Liberator where he flew 24 missions over Germany. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart and the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters. Diehl often cited his experiences during the war as a strong influence on his fiction.

Diehl was also a successful photographer and journalist, when he began his novel-writing career at 50. His first novel, Sharky's Machine, was made into the 1981 film of the same name, directed by and starring Burt Reynolds. Diehl saw it being shot on location in and around his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. It was the most successful box-office release of a film directed by Reynolds.

Diehl relocated to St. Simons Island, Georgia, in the early 1980s, and lived there for the next 15 years before returning to Atlanta. While living on St. Simons, he completed eight other novels, including Primal Fear, which was adapted into the 1996 film of the same name.

Death

Diehl died of an aortic aneurysm at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on November 24, 2006.

Bibliography

• Sharky's Machine (1978)
• Chameleon (1981)
• Hooligans (1984)
• Thai Horse (1987)
• The Hunt (27) (1990)
• Primal Fear (1993)†
• Show of Evil (1995)†
• Reign in Hell (1997)†
• Eureka (2002)
• Seven Ways to Die (2012) with Kenneth John Atchity

†Primal Fear, Show of Evil, and Reign in Hell are all part of a series featuring lawyer Martin Vail and killer Aaron Stampler.

References

1. ^ William Diehl, 81; war experiences influenced writer’s popular thrillers Los Angeles Times via Internet Archive. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
2. Stevenson, Luanne (2012-04-23). "Book Review: Seven Ways to Die by William Diehl with Kenneth John Atchity". Retrieved on 2012-10-10.

External links

• William Diehl at IMDb 
• "'Primal Fear' author Diehl dies at 81", Associated Press, 26 November 2006

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• 1924 births
• 2006 deaths
• 20th-century American male writers
• 21st-century American male writers
• 20th-century American novelists
• 21st-century American novelists
• American male novelists
• American novelist, 1920s birth stubs
• Military personnel from Georgia (U.S. state)
• People from St. Simons, Georgia
• People from Woodstock, Georgia
• Recipients of the Air Medal
• Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
• United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
• United States Army Air Forces soldiers