Stuart Woods
Encyclopedia
Early life
Stuart Woods was born in Manchester, GeorgiaManchester, Georgia
Manchester is a city located in Meriwether and Talbot Counties in the U.S. state of Georgia, although primarily in Meriwether. The population was 3,769 at the 2010 census.-Demographics:...
and graduated in 1959 from the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. After graduation he enrolled in the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
, spending two months in basic training before moving to New York, where he began a career in the advertising industry. Towards the end of the 1960s, Woods emigrated to England and lived in Knightsbridge, London while continuing to work in advertising. After three years in London, Woods decided to write a novel, based on an old family story which had been told to him when he was a child, and moved to Ireland. He moved into a converted barn on the grounds of Lough Cutra Castle near Gort, County Galway, and lived a near-solitary existence, except for spending two days a week in Dublin writing television commercials and print adverts.
Sailing
Soon after settling in Ireland in 1973, Woods took up a new hobby of sailingSailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, an activity that had interested him since the summer of 1966 in Castine, Maine when friends had taken him on their boat. He joined Galway Bay Sailing Club, and learned to sail in one of the club's Mirror
Mirror (dinghy)
The Mirror is a very popular sailing dinghy, with more than 70,000 built.The Mirror was named after the Daily Mirror, a UK newspaper with a largely working class distribution. The Mirror was from the start promoted as an affordable boat, and as a design it has done a great deal to make dinghy...
s. Woods purchased a Mirror for himself and named it Fred, after his dog. After tiring of cruising around bays he entered novice competitions around Galway Bay. Unable to find a reliable person to form his crew, Woods recruited any passing teenager to join him. He entered the week-long National Championships at Lough Derg, and finished thirty-ninth out of a fleet of sixty. It was Wood's best result of the season.
The following year, Woods sailed in as many races as he could leading up to the Mirror National Championships in Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
; After retiring from the first race, he finished in twenty-fifth place out of seventy boats in the second race, and finished eighth in the third race. The fourth race was canceled due to high winds and the number of teenaged entrants. He finished the event twenty-ninth out of seventy boats and he and his crewmate were given a special prize for being the oldest and heaviest crew. For the rest of the season he sailed around Ireland with a friend on a Snapdragon 24, and decided to compete in the 1976 Observer Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race (OSTAR).
In the fall of 1974, Woods's grandfather died and bequeathed him enough money to buy a yacht suitable for the race. He ordered a Golden Shamrock-based yacht from Ron Holland
Ron Holland
Ronald John Holland is a yacht designer, who came to prominence in the 1970s with his successful racing designs, and is now best known for his superyachts such as Mirabella V and Ethereal...
, and worked with him on designing the interior suitable for single-handeded racing and Woods' personal needs. Since his previous sailing experience consisted of "racing a ten-foot plywood dinghy on Sunday afternoons against small children, losing regularly", Woods spent eighteen months learning more about sailing and celestial navigation while his yacht was being built in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. He gained more boating experience by sailing from Ireland to England as part of the crew on STY Creidne, a training ship purchased by the Irish Government for the Irish Naval Service
Irish Naval Service
The Naval Service is the navy of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....
, Irish Mist II, Ron Holland's Golden Apple, and as many other yachts that would accept him, amassing 1200 miles of offshore experience. He entered the August 1975 Multihull Offshore Cruising and Racing Association (MOCRA) Azores Race and asked fellow Galway Bay Sailing Club member Commander Bill King to join him.
In order to finance his MOCRA Azores Race and the OSTAR, Woods met with publishers about writing a book about his experience in the OSTAR, organized sponsorship for the races, and sent invitations and press releases about the launch of his yacht to the local and national Irish newspapers, RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
, The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, and Yachting Monthly. Golden Harp was launched June 4, 1975. "Golden" was chosen so it followed the naming tradition of Ron Holland's other designs, the Golden Apple, Golden Shamrock, and Golden Delicious, and "Harp" as it has long been used as a symbol of Ireland.
Woods, King, and their third crewmember, Shirley Clifford, left from Portsmouth, England for The Azores in August 1975. 85-98) Clifford, who had complained of feeling ill the day before the race began, continued to feel worse so Woods and King dropped her off on a coastguard boat near Plymouth, England on the second day of the race. They arrived in Horta after sailing 1400 miles for fifteen-and-a-half days. They were the smallest and last boat to finish, other than four boats that had retired from the race, but were disqualified for not completing with the full crew complement that had begun the race. King returned to Ireland almost immediately, but Woods spent a month in Horta before sailing Golden Harp the 1300 miles back to Ireland single-handedly in order to meet the OSTAR's qualifying cruise requirement of a minimum five-hundred miles.
Upon his return to Ireland in the late fall of 1975, Woods appeared on the Irish version of To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
with Ron Holland and John McWilliam. All three men claimed to be Woods, and a panel had to guess who out of whom was lying. Only one of the four panellists guessed correctly. Preparing for his OSTAR race, he petitioning the OSTAR Committee to be considered an Irish entry, as although he is an American, he had been living in Ireland for some time, had learned to sail from Irish yachtsmen on Irish boats, and his yacht was Irish designed and built. The committee agreed to allow him to be entered under Irish colors.
The OSTAR race began at Plymouth, England on June 5, 1976. He completed his passage to Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
in forty-five days, finishing 65th out of 125 boats, though after handicaps was declared 45th.
In August 1979 he competed in the 1979 Fastnet Race
Fastnet race
The Fastnet Race is a famous offshore yachting race. It is considered one of the classic offshore races. It takes place every two years over a course of . The race starts off Cowes on the Isle of Wight in England, rounds the Fastnet Rock off the southwest coast of Ireland and then finishes at...
on a friend's yacht. The race was marred by a huge storm which resulted in fifteen competitors and four observers losing their lives. Woods and his host crew finished in good order, with little damage. In the fall of 1979 he skippered his friend's yacht back across the Atlantic Ocean, with a crew of six, calling at the Azores, Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
and the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, and finishing at Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
in the Caribbean.
Becoming a published writer
Woods wrote an account of his OSTAR experience, and was introduced to Stanford Maritime, a London-based publishing house specializing in nautical books, by Ron Holland. Blue Water, Green Skipper was published in 1977. The American publishing rights were sold to W.W. Norton.Woods' second book was to be written about the 1977 Round Britain Yacht Race but the book was canceled because of light winds and calms during the race. He persuaded his publishers to allow him to change the scope of the book, and spent the summer driving 12,000 miles around Great Britain and Ireland writing a guidebook to country restaurants, inns and hotels. He visited over 150 establishments, and included one-hundred-thirty-eight in the book; ninety-one establishments in England, thirteen in Scotland, eight in Wales, and twenty-six in Ireland. The two places in the British Isles that he did not visit were Northern Ireland, saying that he did not feel comfortable recommending any place where he was afraid to visit, and the Channel Islands due to a lack of available time. Originally titled A Lover's Guide to the Country Inns of Britain and Ireland Woods realised married couples may feel alienated, and changed it to A Romantic's Guide ..., defining a "romantic" as a person " who is susceptible to charm" in addition to The Concise Oxford Dictionary definition of someone "given to romance, imagination ... visionary ... professing grandeur of picturesqueness or passion or irregular beauty to finish and proportion."
Woods' first novel, Chiefs
Chiefs (Novel)
Chiefs is the first novel in the Will Lee series by Stuart Woods. It was first published in 1981 by W. W. Norton Co., Inc. The novel takes place in the fictional town of Delano, Georgia, over three generations, as three different police chiefs attempt to identify a serial killer operating in the...
, was published in March 1981. The story was inspired by a police chief's badge
Badge
A badge is a device or fashion accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath , a sign of legitimate employment or student status, or as a simple...
Woods had found in his grandmother's home. The badge was stained with blood and pockmarked by buckshot. It had belonged to his grandfather, who died wearing it 10 years before Mr. Woods was born. He submitted the first one hundred pages and an outline to three publishers who all turned him down, before Norton bought the publishing rights for $7,500. He later stated it was a mistake to sell the book unfinished as he could have got much more money had it been completed. 20,000 copies of the book were printed in hardback, but Norton did little to promote the book. He contracted with Bantam Books
Bantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by Random House, the German media corporation subsidiary of Bertelsmann; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. Kramer, and Ian and Betty Ballantine...
to print the paperback edition. In 1983 Chiefs was adapted into a television miniseries of the same name
Chiefs (TV miniseries)
Chiefs is a miniseries based upon the novel of the same name by Stuart Woods. It was broadcast on CBS over three nights in November 1983. It was directed by Jerry London, and stars Charlton Heston, Keith Carradine, Stephen Collins, Danny Glover, Wayne Rogers and Billy Dee Williams...
, starring Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
, Danny Glover
Danny Glover
Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
, Billy Dee Williams
Billy Dee Williams
William December "Billy Dee" Williams, Jr. is an American actor, artist, singer, and writer.-Early life:Williams was born in New York City, New York, the son of Loretta...
, Stephen Collins and John Goodman
John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Dan Conner on the television series Roseanne for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993, and for appearances in the films of the Coen brothers, with prominent roles in Raising...
. CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
broadcast the miniseries over three nights, and it was nominated for three Emmy Awards and one Eddie Award. Its success sparked interest in the paperback, and Woods was awarded the Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
in the "Best First Novel" category from the Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
.
Woods' most prolific series of novels focus on Stone Barrington, a former NYPD detective turned lawyer who is of counsel
Of counsel
Of counsel is often the title of an attorney who is employed by a law firm or an organization, but is not an associate or a partner. Some firms use titles like "counsel," "special counsel," and "senior counsel" for the same concept...
to a prestigious law firm and handles cases with which the firm does not wish to be publicly associated. The novels are noted both for a strong cast of recurring characters such as Barrington's ex-partner Dino Bacchetti, frequent use of the New York restaurant Elaine's
Elaine's
Elaine's was an Upper East Side bar and restaurant, located near the corner of 2nd Avenue and East 88th Street in Manhattan which shut its doors for the last time on May 26th, 2011.-History:...
as a setting and Stone's frequent exploits with women, travel and fine dining. Stone, like Woods, is also an experienced pilot and frequent references are made to his aircraft.
In addition to Stone, Woods has written several other character-focused series. These characters include Holly Barker, a retired Army major and Florida police chief recruited to become a CIA operative; Ed Eagle, a Santa Fe defense lawyer; William Henry Lee IV, a Georgia senator who is elected President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
; and Rick Barron, a police detective who becomes a security officer and later chief of production for a Hollywood movie studio in the 1930s. All of Woods' novels take place in the same universe and characters frequently appear in other series.
Woods has published a memoir, a travel book and forty-four novels in a thirty-seven year career, and has now had twenty-nine consecutive New York Times best sellers in hardback. Two completed novels are awaiting publication in January and April, 2011, and he has just signed another three-book deal with Putnam. In the past he has written two novels a year and has increased that to three novels a year, at the request of his publishers. He publishes each year in January, April and September.
Personal life
Woods is a licensed, instrument-rated private pilot, and recently bought a new Cessna Citation Mustang, his first jet airplane. He owns a Hinckley T38 R power boat and is a partner in a 85-foot antique motor yacht, Enticer, built in 1935 and fully restored. He is divorced, describing himself as "a born-again bachelor."Will Lee novels
- ChiefsChiefs (Novel)Chiefs is the first novel in the Will Lee series by Stuart Woods. It was first published in 1981 by W. W. Norton Co., Inc. The novel takes place in the fictional town of Delano, Georgia, over three generations, as three different police chiefs attempt to identify a serial killer operating in the...
(1981) (Edgar AwardEdgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
Best First Novel) – A 229 minute TV miniseries, starring Charlton Heston, John Goodman and an all-star cast. {Woods has a role in miniseries} - Run Before the WindRun Before the WindRun Before the Wind is the second novel in the Will Lee series by Stuart Woods, written as a semi-sequel to his first novel Chiefs. It was first published in 1983 by W. W. Norton & Company The novel takes place in Ireland, a decade after the events of Chiefs. The story continues the story of the...
(1983) - Deep LieDeep LieDeep Lie is the third novel in the Will Lee series by Stuart Woods. It was first published in 1986 by W. W. Norton Co., Inc. The novel takes place in Washington, D. C., Latvia, Russia, and Europe, about 5-10 years after the events of Run Before the Wind. The story continues the story of the Lee...
(1986) - Grass RootsGrass Roots (Novel)Grass Roots is the fourth novel in the Will Lee series by Stuart Woods. It was first published in 1989 by Simon & Schuster. The novel takes place in Delano Georgia, some years after the events of Deep Lie. The story continues the story of the Lee family of Delano, Georgia. Will Lee is now...
(1989) – A four-hour TV miniseries, starring Corbin BernsenCorbin BernsenCorbin Dean Bernsen is an American actor and director, known for his work on television. He is best known for his roles as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series L.A. Law, and as retired police detective Henry Spencer on the USA Network comedy-drama series Psych...
and Mel HarrisMel HarrisMel Harris is an American actress.-Personal life:Harris was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the daughter to Mary Michael "Mike", a high school science teacher, and Warren Harris, a university football coach...
. - The RunThe RunThe Run is the fifth novel in the Will Lee series by Stuart Woods. It was first published in 2000 by HarperCollins. The novel takes place in Washington, D. C. and different states, some time after the events of Grass Roots . The novel continues the story of the Lee family of Delano,...
(2000) - Capital CrimesCapital CrimesCapital Crimes is the sixth novel in the Will Lee series by Stuart Woods. It was first published in 2003 by Putnam Publishing. The novel takes place in Washington D. C., a couple years after the events in The Run. The novel continues the story of the Lee family of Delano, Georgia...
(2003) (First appearance of villain Teddy Fay) - Mounting FearsMounting FearsMounting Fears is the seventh novel in the Will Lee series by Stuart Woods. It was first published in 2009 by Putnam. The novel takes place in Washington D.C. and other states, some years after the events of Capital Crimes. The book continues the story of the Lee family of Delano, Georgia. Will...
(2009) (Teddy Faye appearance #4)(Holly Barker also makes an appearance)
Stone Barrington novels
- New York DeadNew York DeadNew York Dead is the first novel in the Stone Barrington series by Stuart Woods.It was first published in 1991 by HarperCollins. The novel takes place in New York City. The novel begins the story of Stone Barrington, a retired detective turned lawyer/private investigator....
(1991) - DirtDirt (novel)Dirt is the second novel in the Stone Barrington series by Stuart Woods.It was first published in 1996 by HarperCollins. The novel takes place in New York, a few years after the events in New York Dead. The novel continues the story of Stone Barrington, a retired detective turned lawyer/private...
(1996) - Dead in the WaterDead in the Water (Novel)Dead in the Water is the third novel in the Stone Barrington series by Stuart Woods.It was first published in 1997 by HarperCollins. The novel takes place on the island of St. Marks, after the events in Dirt...
(1997) - Swimming to CatalinaSwimming to CatalinaSwimming to Catalina is the fourth novel in the Stone Barrington series by Stuart Woods.It was first published in 1998 by HarperCollins. The novel takes place in Los Angeles, after the events in Dead in the Water. The novel continues the story of Stone Barrington, a retired detective turned...
(1998) - Worst Fears Realized (1999)
- L.A. Dead (2000)
- Cold Paradise (2001)
- The Short Forever (2002) (First appearance of CIA agent Lance Cabot)
- Dirty Work (2003) (Ed Eagle makes a cameo)
- Reckless Abandon (2004) (Also stars Holly Barker) (Continuation of a storyline in Blood Orchid)
- Two Dollar Bill (2005)
- Dark Harbor (2006) (Also stars Holly Barker)
- Fresh Disasters (2007)
- Shoot Him If He Runs (2007) (Also stars Holly Barker) (Teddy Fay Appearance #3)
- Hot Mahogany (2008) (Also stars Holly Barker)
- Loitering With Intent (2009) (Chuck Chandler from Choke makes a cameo)
- Kisser (2010)
- Lucid Intervals (2010) (First appearance of Strategic Services and Mike Freeman)
- Strategic Moves (2011) (Also stars Holly Barker, cameo appearances by Todd Bacon and Lance Cabot)
- Bel-Air Dead (2011) (Cameos by Ed Eagle, Barbara Eagle and Rick Barron)
- Son of Stone (2011)
- D.C. Dead (December 27, 2011) (Also stars Holly Barker and Will Lee)
- Unnatural Acts (April 2012)
Holly Barker novels
- Orchid Beach – set in the fictional town of Orchid Beach, FL (1998)
- Orchid Blues (2001) (Stone Barrington makes a cameo)
- Blood Orchid (2002)
- Reckless Abandon (2004)
- Iron Orchid (2005) (Teddy Fay Appearance #2)
- Hothouse Orchid (2009) (Teddy Fay Appearance #5)
Ed Eagle novels
- Santa Fe Rules – set in Santa Fe, New MexicoSanta Fe, New MexicoSanta Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
(1992) - Short Straw (2006) (Rick Baron makes a cameo appearance)
- Santa Fe Dead (2008)
- Santa Fe Edge (2010) (Teddy Fay Appearance #6, Holly Barker makes a cameo and Agent Todd Bacon from Shoot Him If He Runs returns)
Rick Barron novels
- The Prince of Beverly Hills (2004)
- Beverly Hills Dead (2008) (Stone Barrington makes a cameo)
Stand-alone novels
- Under the Lake (1987)
- White Cargo (1988)
- Palindrome – set in Cumberland Island, GA (1991)
- L.A. Times – set in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
(1993) - Dead Eyes – set in Los Angeles, California (1994)
- Heat – set in a fictional town in IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
(1994) - Imperfect Strangers (1995) (Grand Prix de Littérature PolicièreGrand Prix de Littérature PolicièreThe Grand Prix de Littérature Policière is a French literary prize founded in 1948 by author and literary critic Maurice-Bernard Endrèbe. It is the most prestigious award for crime and detective fiction in France...
) - Choke (1995)
Non-fiction
- Blue Water, Green Skipper (1977)
- A Romantic's Guide to the Country Inns of Britain and Ireland (1979)