William Dietrich Books

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William Dietrich is an American author that writes fiction and nonfiction. He was born in 1951 in Tacoma. Washington. He also grew up in the region, attending Mount Tacoma High and Fairhaven College.

The author was fascinated with history and fiction from a young age, partly because he grew up around the dramatic landscapes that Moun Rainer created. Dietrich enjoyed writing. Journalism allowed him to write for a living which is why he studied the subject in College.

He did not regret the decision. He developed a deep love for the field at Fairhaven and WWU (Western Washington University). Dietrich worked for several newspapers in the US, covering topics related to science and the environment and eventually landing a Pulitzer Prize which he shared with other journalists from The Seattle Times.

Because of the time he spent exploring science and the environment as a journalist, it did not come as much of a surprise to his followers when he wrote ‘The Final Forest’, his first book. The nonfiction volume touched upon Washington’s environmental concerns, winning William Dietrich an award.

He followed it up with another book about the flora and fauna on the Columbia River. He also joined forces with Art Wolfe, a photographer, to produce a pictorial book.

Dietrich’s first novel, which he started writing at the age of 38, was ‘Ice Riech’ and it was inspired by the time he had spent in Antarctica as a journalist. This opened the door for the author to produce various fiction works, many of them emerging from his love for history, science, and the environment.

Dietrich wasn’t always certain of what he was doing as a journalist but he was intelligent enough to learn the ropes as he went along. His entry into the fictional publishing arena was no different. From a young age, he had realized that writing was about telling stories.

The fact that he was writing about real people made no difference. As a journalist, he would endeavor to identify and then present the drama at the heart of each report, not to mention the compelling central characters that were driving the narrative.

He used this same mindset when he made the jump from nonfiction to fiction. For Dietrich, fiction is appealing because it gives him more freedom. He can write whatever he wants without worrying about tying it to real events. He has complete control over his fictional worlds and he doesn’t have to corroborate any of the information in his stories by scheduling interviews and doing extensive research.

His only objective is to create an engaging dramatic narrative with a satisfactory climax. That being said, the author is just as passionate about nonfiction. The years he spent as a journalist proved to him that real life was just as bizarre as fiction. He enjoys peeling back the layers of real people and events to find the truth waiting beneath.

This is sometimes seen in his fiction which features characters that are flawed and inconsistent and who are not always what they seem. Some of Dietrich’s stories require considerable research. Fortunately, his experience as a journalist showed him how to find and retrieve information. He won’t hesitate to travel to the real places that have inspired his fictional settings.

Dietrich is a father with two daughters.

William Dietrich Awards

Dietrich’s list of accolades includes the Washington Governor Writers and the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Awards.

Best William Dietrich Books

Napoleon’s Pyramids: Ethan Gage is an adventurous American. A former aide to Benjamin Franklin and a gambler, Ethan’s life takes an interesting turn when a card game ends with the American winning a mysterious medallion.

It doesn’t take him long to realize that the medallion has secrets that he must unravel. Ethan joins Napoleon’s expedition as he prepares to invade Egypt in the hopes of learning the medallion’s secrets.

The Rosetta Key: Ethan Gage is on a new adventure. On the one hand, he needs to find Astiza. She fell out of a hot air balloon into the Nile. She was feared dead, but it looks like she is still among the living. On the other hand, the adventurer must reach the Book of Throth before his enemies stop him. Those enemies include Napoleon.

When Does The Next William Dietrich book come out?

William Dietrich doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is The Trojan Icon and was released on February, 8th 2016. It is the newest book in the Ethan Gage Series.

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