Photo: Mark Coggins from San Francisco / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
David Baldacci's pivot from practicing attorney to global bestselling novelist is the kind of reinvention story I never tire of. Writing on the side while working in law, he broke through with Absolute Power and never looked back, over 130 million copies across 45-plus languages. What I value most is how he weaponizes his legal training: the thrillers feel structurally sound, the procedural details earned rather than faked. Awards like the Nero are nice, but the real achievement is sustaining that level of plotting over decades. He is a craftsman of suspense who proves that expertise from one life can quietly power another.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- David Baldacci
- Name (Japanese)
- デイヴィッド・バルダッチ
- Reading
- でいゔぃっど・ばるだっち
- Born
- August 5, 1960 (age 65)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Rat
- Origin
- Richmond, Virginia, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- author / screenwriter / lawyer / novelist / poet lawyer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Henrico High School
- University
- Virginia Commonwealth University
Awards & achievements
- 2020 Nero Award
- 2024 Best Crime Novel in Swedish Translation
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Absolute Power | — |
6. Links
- Official sitehttp://davidbaldacci.com/
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/davidbaldacciauthor/
- Xhttps://x.com/davidbaldacci
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David%20Baldacci
Frequently asked questions
When was David Baldacci born?
Born August 5, 1960 (age 65).
Where is David Baldacci from?
David Baldacci is from Richmond, Virginia, United States.
What does David Baldacci do?
David Baldacci works as author, screenwriter, lawyer, novelist, poet lawyer.
What is David Baldacci known for?
Notable works include Absolute Power.
Author — see all → · Screenwriter — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.