James D. Hornfischer is a native of Massachusetts, and a graduate of Colgate University and the University of Texas School of Law.
He’s a member of the Naval Order of the United States, the Navy League, and was appointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry as an Admiral in the Texas Navy. A former New York book editor, Hornfischer is president of the literary agency, Hornfischer Literary Management, located in Austin, Texas
Hornfischer’s writing career has grown out of a lifelong interest in the Pacific war. He has appeared on television on The History Channel, Fox News Channel’s “War Stories with Oliver North” and C-SPAN’s “BookTV.” A frequent speaker on the subject of the war in the Pacific, the U.S. Navy, and the experience of America’s sailors in World War II, he frequently addresses veterans organizations, youth and civic groups, and professional naval organizations on the inspiring stories found in his books.
He is the author of three books, most recently Neptune’s Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal. He also authored two other acclaimed works of World War II naval history: The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy’s Finest Hour and Ship of Ghosts: The Story of the USS Houston, FDR’s Legendary Lost Cruiser, and the Epic Saga of Her Survivors, both published by Bantam.
He lives in Austin with his wife and their three children.
