Stephen Coonts (born July 19, 1946) is an Americanspy thriller andsuspense novelist.

Stephen Coonts grew up inBuckhannon, West Virginia, a smallcoal mining town. Following high school graduation, he earned aB.A. degree inpolitical science atWest Virginia University in 1968.^[1] After joining theNavy upon graduation and then going toofficer candidate school, Coonts went to flight school atNaval Air Station Pensacola and earned his wings as anaval aviator in 1969.

Coonts was later assigned toNaval Air Station Whidbey Island andVA-128 to train in theA-6 Intruder, a medium attack, all-weather,carrier-based jet. After training, he was attached to and deployed withVA-196 toVietnam. With 196, he served aboard theUSSEnterprise (CVN-65) on two cruises and accumulated 1600 flying hours in the A-6. Coonts was awarded several commendations, including theDistinguished Flying Cross.

After Vietnam, Coonts served as an A-6 flight instructor for two years, then was assigned as an assistantcatapult andarresting gear officer aboardUSSNimitz (CVN-68). He separated from the active duty Navy as alieutenant in 1977 but remained asreserve officer, retiring as acommander with a total of 21 years of service.

After leaving active duty, Coonts pursued aJuris Doctor (J.D.) degree at theUniversity of Colorado, graduating in 1979. He then worked as a lawyer for several oil and gas companies, pursuing his writing interests in his free time.

Coonts began writingFlight of the Intruder in 1984; it was published by theUS Naval Institute Press in 1986. The novel, based in part on his experiences as an A-6 pilot during the Vietnam War, remained for 28 weeks on theNew York Times bestseller list, and in 1991 was made into amovie. This launched his career as a novelist, and he continued writing adventure-thrillers, most of them based on the main character from his first book, Jake Grafton. Coonts has also written several other series and stand-alone novels, but is best known for the Grafton books.

In 1992, he was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni at his alma mater,West Virginia University.^[2][3] In 2014, West Virginia University awarded him anhonoraryDoctor of Letters degree.

As of 2013, Coonts continues to write, having had 16New York Times bestsellers (out of 36 books). He lives inColorado.^[4] He was married to romantic mystery novelistDeborah Coonts, his third wife, from September 2011 until her death on February 1, 2025.^[5]

Note: The list below represents Stephen Coonts' suggested reading order.^[6]

Note: The list below represents Stephen Coonts' suggested reading order.^[7]

• Fortunes of War (1998),ISBN 0-312-18583-9,ISBN 0-312-96941-4
• The Garden of Eden (2006) (writing as Eve Adams)
• The Sea Witch (May 2012),ISBN 0-7653-3231-0,ISBN 978-0-7653-3231-8

• The 17th Day (1999)
• Combat (2001)ISBN 0-312-87190-2
• Victory (2003)ISBN 0-312-87462-6OCLC 51322993

• The Cannibal Queen: A Flight into the Heart of America (1992),ISBN 0-671-74884-X
• War In The Air: True Accounts (1996),ISBN 0-671-88190-6
• On Glorious Wings: The Best Flying Stories (2003),ISBN 0-312-87724-2
• Victory (2003),ISBN 0-312-87462-6

• Official site
• Coonts' journal
• West Virginia & Regional History Center atWest Virginia University,Stephen Coonts, Author, Papers
• Stephen Coonts audio interview with National Review Online
• Stephen Coonts at theInternet Speculative Fiction Database
• Author interview at thePritzker Military Museum & Library on February 13, 2008
• Modern Signed Books BlogTalkRadio Interview with Rodger Nichols about The Art of War March 2016
• Appearances onC-SPAN

• 1946 births
• Living people
• 20th-century American novelists
• 21st-century American novelists
• American male novelists
• American military writers
• Military personnel from Upshur County, West Virginia
• United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War
• American thriller writers
• Aviators from West Virginia
• Nevada lawyers
• Nevada Republicans
• Writers from Buckhannon, West Virginia
• Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
• West Virginia University alumni
• Novelists from West Virginia
• United States Navy officers
• United States Naval Aviators
• 20th-century American non-fiction writers
• 21st-century American non-fiction writers
• American male non-fiction writers
• 20th-century American male writers
• 21st-century American male writers
• University of Colorado Law School alumni

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