David Simon Popular Books
David Simon Biography & Facts
David Judah Simon (born February 9, 1960) is an American author, journalist, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work on The Wire (2002–08). He worked for The Baltimore Sun City Desk for twelve years (1982–95), wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (1991), and co-wrote The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood (1997) with Ed Burns. The former book was the basis for the NBC series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–99), on which Simon served as a writer and producer. Simon adapted the latter book into the HBO mini-series The Corner (2000). He was the creator, executive producer, head writer, and show runner of the HBO television series The Wire (2002–2008). He adapted the non-fiction book Generation Kill into a television mini-series, and served as the show runner for the project. He was selected as one of the 2010 MacArthur Fellows and named an Utne Reader visionary in 2011. Simon also created the HBO series Treme with Eric Overmyer, which aired for four seasons. Following Treme, Simon wrote the HBO mini-series Show Me a Hero with journalist William F. Zorzi, a colleague at The Baltimore Sun and on The Wire. Simon and frequent collaborator George Pelecanos reunited to create original series The Deuce. The drama about the New York porn industry in the 1970s and 1980s starred producer Maggie Gyllenhaal and executive producer James Franco, and aired from 2017 to 2019. Simon's next series, The Plot Against America, debuted in 2020. We Own This City was developed and written by George Pelecanos and Simon, and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green. The six-episode limited series premiered on HBO on April 25, 2022. Early life and education Simon was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Dorothy Simon (née Ligeti), a homemaker, and Bernard Simon, a former journalist and then public relations director for B'nai B'rith for 20 years. Simon was raised in a Jewish family, and had a bar mitzvah ceremony. His family roots are in Russia, Belarus, Hungary, and Slovakia (his maternal grandfather had changed his surname from "Leibowitz" to "Ligeti"). He has a brother, Gary Simon, and a sister, Linda Evans, who died in 1990. In March 1977, when Simon was still in high school, Simon's father was one of a group of over 140 people held hostage (and later released) in Washington, D.C. by former national secretary of the Nation of Islam Hamaas Abdul Khaalis in the Hanafi Siege. Simon graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland, and wrote for the school newspaper, The Tattler. In 1983, he graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park. While at college he wrote and was editor for The Diamondback, and became friends with contemporary David Mills. Career Journalism Upon leaving college, Simon worked as a police reporter at The Baltimore Sun from 1982 to 1995. Simon was hired by the Baltimore Sun for a piece he wrote about Lefty Driesell, who was then the men's basketball coach at the University of Maryland. Driesell had been extremely frustrated that one of his players was suspended from playing for sexual impropriety and called the victim, threatening to destroy her reputation if she did not withdraw her complaint. This was all done while the university administration was listening to the call, but they did nothing. Lefty Driesell was later given a 5-year contract and, in 2018, he was inducted into the ACC Hall of Fame. Simon spent most of his career covering the crime beat. A colleague has said that Simon loved journalism and felt it was "God's work". Simon says that he was initially altruistic and was inspired to enter journalism by The Washington Post's coverage of Watergate but became increasingly pragmatic as he gained experience. Simon was a union captain when the writing staff went on strike in 1987 over benefit cuts. He remained angry after the strike ended and began to feel uncomfortable in the writing room. He searched for a reason to justify a leave of absence and settled on the idea of writing a novel. "I got out of journalism because some sons of bitches bought my newspaper and it stopped being fun," says Simon. In 1988, disillusioned, Simon took a year's leave to go into the Baltimore Police Department Homicide Unit to write a book. Book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets Simon's leave of absence from The Sun resulted in his first book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (1991). The book was based on his experiences shadowing the Baltimore Police Department homicide unit during 1988. The idea came from a conversation on Christmas Eve 1985 in the unit office, where Det. Bill Lansey told him, "If someone just wrote down what happens in this place for one year, they'd have a goddamn book." Simon approached the police department and the editors of the paper to receive approval. The detectives were initially slow to accept him, but he persevered in an attempt to "seem … like part of the furniture". However, he soon ingratiated himself with the detectives, saying in the closing notes of the book, "I shared with the detectives a year's worth of fast-food runs, bar arguments and station house humor: Even for a trained observer, it was hard to remain aloof." During one instance, Simon even assisted with an arrest. Two detectives Simon was riding with pulled their car to a curb to apprehend two suspects, but Detective Dave Brown got his trenchcoat caught in a seat belt when he tried to exit the car. Brown told Simon to assist Detective Terry McLarney himself, and Simon helped apprehend and search one of the suspects. The book won the 1992 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime book. The Associated Press called it "a true-crime classic". The Library Journal also highly recommended it, and Newsday described it as "one of the most engrossing police procedural mystery books ever written". Simon credits his time researching the book as altering his writing style and informing later work. He learned to be more patient in research and writing, and said a key lesson was not promoting himself but concentrating on his subjects. Simon told Baltimore's City Paper in 2003 that Homicide was not traditional journalism. "I felt Homicide the book and The Corner were not traditional journalism in the sense of coming from some artificially omniscient, objective point of view," said Simon. "They're immersed in the respective cultures that they cover in a way that traditional journalism often isn't." Television Homicide: Life on the Street The publishers of Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets were eager for a screen adaptation and submitted it to numerous directors but there was little interest. Simon suggested that they send the book to Baltimore native and film director Barry Levinson. Levinson's assistant Gail Mutrux enjoyed the book and both she and Levinson became attached as producers. The project became the award-winning TV series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999), on which Simon worked as a writer and producer. Simo.... Discover the David Simon popular books. Find the top 100 most popular David Simon books.
Best Seller David Simon Books of 2024
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Severed
Simon KernickAn unputdownable, edgeofyourseat thriller full of twists and turns from Sunday Times bestselling author Simon Kernick the UK's answer to Harlan Coben. Guaranteed to keep you gripp...
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Rendezvous - South Atlantic
Douglas ReemanReaders of Clive Cussler, Bernard Cornwell and Wilbur Smith will love this gripping, spellbinding and unputdownable WW2 historical adventure full of vivid battle scenes and masterf...
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The Doomsday Testament
James DouglasFrom bestselling author James Douglas, a gripping and enthralling historical conspiracy thriller a must read for fans of Dan Brown, James Becker and Chris Kuzneski.READERS ARE LOV...
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The Revolution Was Televised
Alan SepinwallA phenomenal account, newly updated, of how twelve innovative television dramas transformed the medium and the culture at large, featuring Sepinwall’s take on the finales of Mad Me...
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Clash of Empires
Ben KaneHAS ROME FINALLY MET ITS MATCH?'A triumph!' Harry Sidebottom 'Exceptional' Anthony Riches'Fans of battleheavy historical fiction will, justly, adore Clash of Empires' The TimesTHE ...
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We Can See You
Simon KernickIf you like David Baldacci, Stuart MacBride and Peter James, you'll love this frighteningly tense, spinetingling thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Simon Kernick the UK...
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Persephone
Julian Stockwin'PERSEPHONE is another shining milepost for Captain Thomas Kydd and his creator, Julian Stockwin' QuarterdeckNovember 1807. Captain Sir Thomas Kydd must sail to Lisbon to aid the ...
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The Lazarus Vault
Tom HarperFrom the pen of prizewinning author Tom Harper, this is a highoctane adventure thriller in the bestselling tradition of The Da Vinci Code. With a lingering sense of tension and une...
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CenterStage
Michael KayFrom the longtime host of the New York Yankees’ television broadcasts, ESPN Radio’s The Michael Kay Show, and YES Network’s Emmy Award–winning CenterStage comes an “entertaining…gr...
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Wings of the Storm
Giles KristianA Viking saga of warmongering, honour and loyalty from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lancelot, Giles Kristian. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Games of Thrones."A...
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My Name Is Nobody
Matthew Richardson'PROOF THAT THE SPY GENRE IS FLOURISHING IN THE 21ST CENTURY' Guardian'I know for certain that there is a mole somewhere within the intelligence services . . . His codename is Nobo...
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Trying to Save Piggy Sneed
John Irving & Susan CheeverA commemorative hardcover edition of the only collection ever published of the celebrated novelist's shorter works.Here is a treat for devoted fans of John Irving. First published ...
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They Walked with God
Max LucadoThe characters we meet in the Bible play a huge role in our lives. Whether we personally relate to Joseph’s dedication to serving the Lord even when he was confused or we understan...
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The American Experiment
David M. RubensteinTHE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLERThe capstone book in a trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of How to Lead and The American Story and hos...
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Bourdain
Laurie WooleverNew York Times bestseller An unprecedented behindthescenes view into the life of Anthony Bourdain from the people who knew him best When Anthony Bourdain died in June 2018, fa...
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Crusader
Ben KaneKING. POLITICIAN. WARRIOR. CONQUEROR.1189. Richard the Lionheart's longawaited goal comes true as he is crowned King of England. Setting his own kingdom in order, he prepares to em...
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The Quartermaster
Robert O'Harrow“The lively story of the Civil War’s most unlikelyand most uncelebratedgenius” (The Wall Street Journal)General Montgomery C. Meigs, who built the Union Army and was judged by Abra...
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Sacrifice
Will JordanLet bestselling author Will Jordan take you on a breakneck speed ride with CIA agent Ryan Drake in this compelling and unmissable thriller. Fans of Lee Child, Vince Flynn and David...
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Back to the Garden
Pete FornataleThe definitive oral history of the seminal rock concert, Woodstockthree days of peace and music and one of the most defining moments of the 1960swith original interviews with Roger...
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I Wish You All the Best
Mason DeaverPerfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli, Mason Deaver's stunning debut will rip your heart out before showing you how to heal from tragedy and celebrate life in the p...
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Secrets of the Dead
Tom HarperFans of Dan Brown, Clive Cussler and Scott Mariani will love this highoctane, edgeofyourseat international thriller from the pen of prizewinning author Tom Harper. It has everythin...
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Mercury
Lesley-Ann JonesA REVEALING, INTIMATE LOOK AT THE MAN WHO WOULD BE QUEEN As lead vocalist for the iconic rock band Queen, Freddie Mercury’s unmatched skills as a songwriter and his flamboyant show...
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The Iberian Flame
Julian Stockwin'In Stockwin's hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world' Guardian1808. With the Peninsula in turmoil, Napoleon Bonaparte signs a treaty to dismember ...
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Wrestling With His Angel
Sidney BlumenthalThe “magisterial” (The New York Times Book Review) second volume of Sidney Blumenthal’s acclaimed, landmark biography, The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln, reveals the future pre...
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Treason of Sparta
Christian CameronBook 7 in The Long War series from the master of historical fiction, Christian CameronWhen the dust settled and the blood dried after the Battle of Plataea, Greeks might have thoug...
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Around The World In Eighty Days
Michael Palin'The pace of this kind of travel has not much changed since Fogg set out in 1872. Trains may be a little faster, but there are certainly no highspeed rail links yet across India, C...
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Badge of Glory
Douglas ReemanFans of Clive Cussler, Bernard Cornwell and Wilbur Smith will love this enthralling and colourful saga from multimillion copy bestselling author Douglas Reeman. The first novel in ...
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NYPD Green
Luke WatersIn this “inspiring inside tour of the human toll, and the satisfactions of becoming a cop” (The New York Times), Irish immigrant and retired NYPD homicide detective Luke Waters tak...
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The Payback
Simon KernickA gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from Sunday Times bestselling author Simon Kernick, the UK's answer to Harlan Coben."Pace, pace pace is what Kernick...
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Sword of Justice
Christian Cameron'The master of historical fiction' SUNDAY TIMESSharpen your sword and prepare for battle...1367: Europe stands on the brink of total war.Political alliances are beginning to ruptur...
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All the Pieces Matter
Jonathan AbramsThe definitive oral history of the iconic and beloved TV show The Wire, as told by the actors, writers, directors, and others involved in its creation.Since its final episode aired...
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Show Me A Hero
Lisa BelkinNOW AN HBO MINISERIESNot in my backyard that's the refrain commonly invoked by property owners who oppose unwanted development. Such words assume a special ferocity when the devel...
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The Samurai Inheritance
James DouglasJamie Saintclair embarks on another fullthrottle historical adventure an absolute pageturner! If you love Dan Brown, Chris Kuzneski and Scott Mariani you will love this! READERS ...
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The Greatest Enemy
Douglas ReemanThis compelling nautical adventure from multimillion copy bestselling author Douglas Reeman will have readers of Clive Cussler, Bernard Cornwell and Wilbur Smith gripped with its e...
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Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh
Rachael LippincottFrom the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Five Feet Apart and She Gets the Girl comes a fresh and inventive sapphic romantic comedy that’s “a gem of a book” (Booklist, starre...
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Brave Companions
David McCulloughFrom Alexander von Humboldt to Charles and Anne Lindbergh, these are stories of people of great vision and daring whose achievements continue to inspire us today, brilliantly told ...
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Yankee Mission
Julian Stockwin'Yankee Mission is a jewel in Julian Stockwin's crown as a master in naval fiction, with a shiptoship fight so vivid that the battle's sounds and scents fly off the pages like leth...
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Avenger of Rome
Douglas JacksonIf you like Simon Scarrow and Ben Kane, you'll absolutely love this enthralling and actionpacked novel of Roman adventure from bestselling author Douglas Jackson. Readers are lovin...
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Language Myths
Laurie Bauer & Peter TrudgillA unique collection of original essays by 21 of the world's leading linguists. The topics discussed focus on some of the most popular myths about language: The Media Are Ruining En...
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The Book of Secrets
Tom HarperFrom the pen of prizewinning author Tom Harper, this is a highoctane adventure thriller in the bestselling tradition of The Da Vinci Code. Jampacked with murder, mystery and mindbl...
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Like Mother, Like Daughter
Elle Croft'Utterly absorbing and thoughtprovoking' Caz Frear'What a premise, and packed with suspense' Victoria Selman'A dark, delicious triumph' Niki MackayIf what they said was true, then ...
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The Baltic Prize
Julian Stockwin1808. Parted from his new bride, Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is called away to join the Northern Expedition to Sweden, now Britain's only ally in the Baltic. Following the sudden decla...
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Redemption
Will JordanIntroducing Ryan Drake think Jason Bourne meets Jack Reacher...If you like Lee Child, Vince Flynn and David Baldacci, you will love this riveting and unputdownable thriller from b...
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To the Eastern Seas
Julian Stockwin'In Stockwin's hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world' GuardianWith Bonaparte held to a stalemate in Europe, the race to empire is now resumed. Bri...
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The Bone Field
Simon KernickFrom Sunday Times bestselling author Simon Kernick the UK's answer to Harlan Coben The Bone Field is a blood pressure raising thriller: fastpaced, full of thrills, spills and unr...
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All the Powers of Earth
Sidney BlumenthalLincoln’s incredible ascent to power in a world of chaos is newly revealed in this “compelling, original, and elegantly written” (Michael Beschloss, New York Times bestselling auth...
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Target
Simon KernickSunday Times bestselling author Simon Kernick, the UK's answer to Harlan Coben, brings us this spinetingling, compelling and captivating thriller that you won't be able to put down...
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God of Vengeance
Giles KristianA glorious, bloody, perfect Viking saga of honour, courage, blood feud and revenge from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lancelot, Giles Kristian. Perfect for fans of Bernard...