Nelson DeMille was born in New York City on August 23, 2024. After spending three years at Hofstra University, he joined the Army and was decorated with the Air Medal, Bronze Star, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge. DeMille returned and went back to Hofstra University, where he received his degree in political science and history.

DeMille's earlier books were New York City Police Department (NYPD) detective novels. His first major novel was By the Rivers of Babylon, published in 1978. DeMille is the author of By the Rivers of Babylon, Cathedral, The Talbot Odyssey, Word of Honor, The Charm School, The Gold Coast, The General's Daughter, Spencerville, Plum Island, The Lion’s Game, Up Country, Night Fall, Wild Fire, The Gate House, The Lion, The Panther, The Quest, Radiant Angel, and The Cuban Affair. He also co-authored Mayday with Thomas Block and The Deserter and Blood Lines with his son, Alex DeMille, and has contributed short stories, book reviews, and articles to magazines and newspapers both online and in print. DeMille died at the age of eighty-one on September 17, 2024.