Bestselling author Nelson DeMille has died. The writer died on September 17 of esophageal cancer, his family confirmed to CBS News and New York Post“Nelson fought a courageous nine-month battle with esophageal cancer. Truly, he faced this ordeal with courage, grace and good humor,” his family said in a statement to CBS News. “We mourn but also celebrate his wonderful life and his lasting legacy as a father, friend and storyteller.” DeMille was born in New York on August 23, 1943. According to his website, he was enrolled at Hofstra University for three years before leaving to join the U.S. Army.DeMille earned a Bronze Star serving in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader cavalry division before returning to Hofstra University to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science and history.
Nelson DeMille 2022.
Craig Barritt/Getty
DeMille published his debut novel, By the rivers of Babylon1978. During his career, he published 23 novels, 17 of which were bestsellers. He primarily wrote suspenseful adventure stories and many of his books, including Plum Island (1997), Lion’s game (2000), Night is falling (2004) and A wild fire (2006), featured former homicide detective John Corey.
Alice Munro, Nobel Prize-winning author, dies at 92
They also include his other novels Cathedral (1981), Gold Coast (1990) and The Cuban affair (2017). His novel from 1992 The general’s daughter it was adapted into a 1999 film starring John Travolta and his books Mayday (1979), written with Thomas Block, i Honorable word (1985) were also adapted into television movies. He was the co-author of the novel Deserter (2019) and Bloodlines (2023) with his son Alex. DeMille also served as an honorary trustee of the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association and held honorary doctorates from Hofstra University, Long Island University, and Dowling College.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(665x0:667x2)/Nelson-DeMille-091824-a0f6aefd3ad1442880c69b01027c2c70.jpg)
Nelson DeMille 2008.
Duffy-Marie Arnoult/WireImage
Tribute to celebrities who died in 2024
“His warmth, generosity and kindness touched all who knew him and will leave a legacy as lasting as his novels,” DeMille’s children wrote on Sept. 18 on the author’s official X account. “We mourn, but we also celebrate a life lived to the fullest. We love you dad and you will always be with us.”
Never miss a story — subscribe to PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
In the previous interview with January Magazinethe author reflected on his fruitful writing career and successes.
“Some people want to be writers, and you ask them if they’ve written anything. ‘No, I didn’t.’ Do you want to be a writer? Sit down and write. Nothing is stopping you. All you need is a typewriter,” DeMille said. “I had a good career.” DeMille was preceded in death by his wife Sandra in 2018 and is survived by his children Lauren, Alex and James.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education