Full Name
Daniel James Brown
Business Title
Author
Speaker Bio
Author Daniel James Brown is one of America’s most beloved narrative nonfiction authors. His #1 New York Times bestseller The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics captured the world's attention and quickly skyrocketed to the top of bestseller lists. The Boys in the Boat served as the inspiration for the PBS documentary The Boys of ‘36. Brown's other books include Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894, The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride, and his second New York Times bestseller, Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War ll. In his captivating presentations, Brown shares the remarkable stories covered in his work, bringing history to life and leaving audiences inspired. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, was named Adult Nonfiction Book of 2013 by the American Booksellers Association and was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction from the American Library Association. The book spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list, was shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of 2013, and was the nonfiction finalist for the 2014 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. A 2023 American biographical sports drama film, The Boys in the Boat, was produced and directed by George Clooney from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith, based on the 2013 book by Daniel James Brown.

Brown grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended the University of California at Berkeley. He taught writing at San Jose State University and Stanford University before becoming a technical writer and editor, first in Silicon Valley and later at Microsoft. He now writes narrative nonfiction books full time. His primary interest as a writer is in bringing compelling historical events to life as vividly and accurately as he can.

Brown lives in the country outside Seattle with his wife, two daughters, and an assortment of cats, dogs, chickens, and honeybees. When he is not writing, he is likely to be birding, gardening, fly fishing, reading American history, or chasing bears away from the beehives.
Daniel James Brown