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

photojournalist Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...

Biography

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 The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

where he flew 24 missions over Germany.William Diehl, 81; war experiences influenced writer’s popular thrillers
'' Los Angeles Times'' via Internet Archive. Retrieved August 27, 2023. 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 Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...

. Diehl saw it being shot on location in and around his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Its cast included Vittorio Gassman, Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Earl Holliman, Rachel Ward, Bernie Casey, Henry Silva, and Richard Libertini. It was the most successful box-office release of a film directed by Reynolds. Diehl relocated to

St. Simons Island St. Simons Island (or simply St. Simons) is a barrier island and census-designated place (CDP) located on St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia, United States. The names of the community and the island are interchangeable, known simply as ...

, 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 Primal Fear may refer to: * Primal Fear (band) Primal Fear is a German power metal band formed in 1997 by Ralf Scheepers (vocals, ex-Gamma Ray) and Mat Sinner (bass and vocals, Sinner). Sinner and Scheepers formed the band after Scheepers was ...

'', which was adapted into the 1996 film of the same name.

Death

Diehl died of an

aortic aneurysm An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement (dilatation) of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal size. They usually cause no symptoms except when ruptured. Occasionally, there may be abdominal, back, or leg pain. The prevalence of abdominal aortic ...

at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on November 24, 2006, while working on his 10th novel. He was survived by five children, four (Cathy, Bill, Stan, and Melissa) from his first marriage, and one (Temple) from his second marriage.

Bibliography

* ''Sharky's Machine'' (1978) * ''Chameleon'' (1981) * ''Hooligans'' (1984) * ''Thai Horse'' (1987) * ''The Hunt (27)'' (1990) * ''

'' (1993)† * ''

Show of Evil ''Show of Evil'' is a 1995 novel by William Diehl, the sequel to '' Primal Fear''. Plot Ten years after saving Aaron Stampler from the death penalty, Martin Vail — now a district attorney — is plagued by his client-turned-nemesis onc ...

'' (1995)† * ''

Reign in Hell ''Reign in Hell'' is a 2008-2009 comic book Limited series (comics), miniseries written by Keith Giffen, pencilled by Thomas Derenick, inked by Bill Sienkiewicz and published by DC Comics. The title is a reference to a line spoken by Lucifer in Joh ...

'' (1997)† * ''Eureka'' (2002) * ''Seven Ways to Die'' (2012) with Kenneth John AtchityStevenson, Luanne (2012-04-23).
Book Review: ''Seven Ways to Die'' by William Diehl with Kenneth John Atchity
. Retrieved on 2012-10-10. : †''Primal Fear'', ''Show of Evil'', and ''Reign in Hell'' are all part of a series featuring lawyer Martin Vail and killer Aaron Stampler.

References

External links

*
Primal Fear' author Diehl dies at 81"
Associated Press, 26 November 2006 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 {{US-novelist-1920s-stub 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