Bob Lee Swagger

The Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times-bestselling author describes how he created his popular veteran sniper. Retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Bob Lee Swagger debuted in Stephen Hunter's military action thriller Point of Impact in 1993. The book was the first of many adventures for the fictional sniper and inspired a hit-movie, as well as a television series. But what led to the invention of such a character? In this quick read, Hunter shares how "the Nailer" came to his kitchen table and subsequently sprang to life. Hunter discusses the real-life hero who served as his inspiration for Swagger, the development of his first villains, and the influence the television show Dragnet had on his writing. He also details how research helped shaped Swagger's world, and explains what keeps him writing adventure after adventure. Praise for the Bob Lee Swagger Novels "Nobody writes action better than Stephen Hunter andBlack Lightis one of his best.... [The] action scenes play like a movie, the plot is intriguing and the writing is top-notch." -Phillip Margolin, author ofThe Burning Man "Stephen Hunter is in a class by himself.Time to Huntis as vivid and haunting as a moving target in the crosshairs of a sniper scope." -Nelson Demille, author ofMayday "The best straight-up thriller writer at work today." -Rocky Mountain News "Thrilling in the manner of ancient storytellers, with battles fierce enough for a war and characters crazy enough to fight them to the death." -New York Times Book Review "A thinking man's Rambo." -Publishers Weekly

Auteur

Stephen Hunter was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1946, and graduated from Northwestern University in 1968. He worked for the Baltimore Sun starting in 1971 as a copy reader, feature writer, book review editor, and eventually, movie critic, a position he held until 1996, when he assumed the same role for the Washington Post. Hunter won the Pulitzer Prize for his work in film criticism in 2003, and was a finalist for the prize in 1995 and 1996. Two volumes of his criticism have been published: Violent Screen: A Critic's 13 Years on the Front Lines of Movie Mayhem (1995) and Now Playing at the Valencia: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Essays on Movies (2005).

Hunter's first novel The Master Sniper (1980) was followed by The Second Saladin (1982), The Spanish Gambit (1985), and The Day Before Midnight (1989). Point of Impact (1993) introduced Bob Lee Swagger, also known as "The Nailer." Bob Lee's father, Earl, starred in three novels: Hot Springs (2000), Pale Horse Coming (2001), and Havana (2003). In 2007, Hunter's book Point of Impact was made into the movie Shooter starring Mark Wahlberg as Bob Lee Swagger.

Hunter is married and lives in Baltimore.