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Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.

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No special access restriction applies.

Preferred Citation

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Stephen Coonts, Author, Papers, A&M 4037, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Biographical / Historical

Portions of this biography were taken from the "About Steve Coonts" web page of the author's website (see link in External Documents).

Stephen Paul Coonts (b. 1946) grew up in Buckhannon, West Virginia. He majored in political science at West Virginia University, graduating in 1968 with an A.B. degree. Upon graduation he was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy and began flight training in Pensacola, Florida. He received his Navy wings in August, 1969. He served as an attack pilot during the Vietnam War.

He left active duty in 1977 and moved to Colorado, where he entered the University of Colorado School of Law. Mr. Coonts received his law degree in December, 1979, and moved to West Virginia to practice. He returned to Colorado in 1981 as a staff attorney specializing in oil and gas law for a large independent oil company, while writing in his free time.

His first novel, Flight of the Intruder , published in September 1986 by the Naval Institute Press, spent 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists in hardcover. After the success of his first novel, Mr. Coonts began writing full-time.

Coonts has been recognized with a variety of awards. The U.S. Naval Institute honored Coonts with its Author of the Year Award for the year 1986 for his novel, Flight of the Intruder . He also served as a trustee of West Virginia Wesleyan College from 1990-1998. He was inducted into the West Virginia University Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 1992.

His writings include:

Jake Grafton series novels:

Flight of the Intruder , 1986

The Intruders , 1994

Final Flight , 1988

The Minotaur , 1989

Under Siege , 1990

The Red Horseman , 1993

Cuba , 1999

Hong Kong , 2000

America , 2001

Liberty , 2003

Tommy Carmellini Series:

Liars and Thieves , 2004

The Traitor , 2006

The Assassin , 2008

The Disciple , 2009

Pirate Alley , 2013

Saucer Series:

Saucer , 2002

Saucer: The Conquest , 2004

Saucer: Savage Planet , 2014

Deep Black Series (first six coauthored with Jim DeFelice; final three coauthored with William H. Keith):

Deep Black , 2003

Biowar , 2004

Dark Zone , 2004

Payback , 2005

Jihad , 2007

Conspiracy , 2008

Arctic Gold , 2009

Sea of Terror , 2010

Death Wave , 2011

Anthologies:

War In The Air: True Accounts , 1996

On Glorious Wings: The Best Flying Stories , 2003

Victory , 2003

Combat , 2001

The Sea Witch , May 2012

Non-fiction/Others:

Fortunes of War , 1998

The Cannibal Queen: A Flight into the Heart of America , 1992

The Garden of Eden , 2006, writing as Eve Adams

Scope and Contents

Papers of Stephen P. Coonts, American thriller and suspense novelist born in Buckhannon, West Virginia. Includes typescripts, printed material, letters, clippings, photographs, and other material regarding the author's publications. Highlights include typescript drafts of some of his books, foreign language editions of some of his books, letters from fans, and typescript movie scripts for Flight of the Intruder .

This collection includes the following series:

Series 1. Writings; 1985, 2014, undated; box 1 - box 3, folder 2. This series includes typescript drafts of books written by Coonts. Many include a handwritten note by the author, written when he donated these materials in 2014.

Series 2. Foreign Language Publications; 1990-2004; box 3, unfoldered. This series includes six foreign language editions of novels by Coonts.

Series 3. Correspondence; 1988-2010; box 4 - box 5, folder 4. This series includes mostly incoming letters, as well as clippings, typescripts, cards, photographs, and printed material. Materials include biographical information on Coonts (box 4, folder 1), speeches prepared by Coonts, letters from fans, and letters from business associates.

Series 4. Movie Material; 1989 - 1991, undated; box 5, folder 5 - box 6, folder 1. This series includes two typescript movie scripts for Flight of the Intruder , as well as press kit material.

Series 5. Clippings; 1988-1995; box 6, folders 2-5. This series includes chiefly newspaper and magazine clippings, most of which contain reviews or commentaries of work by Coonts.

Addendum of 2015/01/15. 1986-2009; boxes 7-30. This series includes books (mostly foreign language editions) and papers.

Addendum of 2017/11/29. 2015-2016; boxes 31-34. This series contains three drafts of Coonts' novel "The Great Republic."

Addendum of 2017/12/05. 1998-2000; box 34. This series contains one signed book, "Fortunes of War," and one program from "An Afternoon with Author Stephen Coontz."

Addendum of 2018/04/09. 2017; box 35. This series contains three copies of The Armageddon File : an audiobook on disc, an uncorrected page proof, and a signed copy of the hardcover.

Addendum of 2019/11/05. 2019; box 36. This series contains one uncorrected page proof of The Russia Account .

Addendum of 2021/06/05. 1984; box 36. This series contains original typescript draft of Flight of the Intruder .

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Adams, Eve, 1946-
• Authors, American -- 20th Century
• Coonts, Stephen, 1946-