Don Winslow (born October 31, 1953)[1] is an American political activist and retired author[2][3] best known for his crime novels including Savages, The Force and the Cartel Trilogy.

He followed that up with three more Neal Carey novels, Way Down on the High Lonely, for which he was a Dilys Award finalist, A Long Walk Up the Water Slide, and While Drowning in the Desert.

For his next novel, Winslow broke from the Neal Carey character to write the standalone Isle of Joy, about an ex-CIA agent who is pulled back into the world of espionage, this time as the target of his former agency and the FBI.

[9] Winslow then wrote The Winter of Frankie Machine, which garnered interest all over Hollywood and was eventually bought by Paramount Pictures for Robert De Niro to star in and Martin Scorsese to direct.

During the development phase, screenwriter Eric Roth gave De Niro a book to read as research for the role.

Winslow and Shane Salerno adapted the screenplay, and the film went on to star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Benicio del Toro, Salma Hayek, and John Travolta.

[9] 2012 also saw Winslow given the Raymond Chandler Award, Italy's top lifetime achievement honor for masters of the thriller and noir literary genre.

Fellow novelists Stephen King, Michael Connelly, James Ellroy, and Harlan Coben also raved about The Cartel, naming it one of Winslow's best.

In a seven-figure deal, Fox purchased the film rights for James Mangold to direct Matt Damon in a script adapted by award-winning screenwriter Scott Frank.

[15] After concluding his Cartel Trilogy, Winslow published Broken, a collection of six short novellas all centered around the themes of crime, corruption, vengeance, justice, loss, and betrayal.

Winslow's next novel, City on Fire, is the first book in a planned trilogy about the feuding Moretti and Murphy crime families in Providence, Rhode Island, in the 1980s and 1990s.

[20] Winslow has spoken in favor of gun control, drug legalisation and reducing incarceration rates for non-violent crimes.

"[22] During the 2020 presidential election, Winslow became politically active online, using his own money to champion liberal causes and criticize Donald Trump and his agenda.

Winslow and Shane Salerno began creating political videos critical of the Trump administration for social media.

On October 13, 2020, Don Winslow Films released a video critical of Trump prior to his campaign event in Pennsylvania.

[8][6] The Power of the Dog took six years to research and write, including a trip to Mexico to interview people with similar experiences as the book's characters.