About David R. Stokes
[David’s latest book is a famous story about Ghostwriting. It's titled, JFK’S Ghost: Kennedy, Sorensen, and the Making of Profiles in Courage, and was published by Lyons Press/Rowman & Littlefield in June 2021.]
IN ADDITION TO HIS GHOSTWRITING WORK, David has written several highly regarded works of fiction and nonfiction, as well as two screenplays.
His first book, The Shooting Salvationist: J. Frank Norris and the Murder Trial that Captivated America (Steerforth/Penguin/Random House, 2011)—a narrative non-fiction thriller set in the 1920s—quickly became a Wall Street Journal best-seller. BOOKLIST, in a starred review, said:
“The book is engagingly written, in an immediate, you-are-there style, and the story is as compelling and surprising as any Grisham thriller. Top of the line.”
This book has recently been revised and enhanced with 30,000 words of new material.
His next book was an espionage novel. Camelot's Cousin: The Spy Who Betrayed Kennedy now has more than 300 enthusiastic Amazon customer reviews. David has also written a screenplay adaptation, and the story has been optioned in Hollywood by actor Blair Underwood.
Two of his books are “based on a true story” historical novels. JACK & DICK: When Kennedy Met Nixon describes the very first Kennedy-Nixon debate which took place in 1947, thirteen years before the two men ran against each other for the presidency in 1960. David brings this long-overlooked story to life and recreates a fascinating conversation between the two future presidents that took place on an overnight train ride back to Washington, DC. He has also written a screenplay based on this fascinating story.
Jake & Clara: Scandal, Politics, Hollywood, and Murder, is a dramatized, but factual account of a fascinating story that captivated America in 1921. A wealthy oilman who bankrolled much of Warren Harding’s successful run for the White House was shot and killed by his mistress before Harding could reward him with high office.
His 2017 novel, The Churchill Funeral Plot, is a thriller set against the backdrop of the death and burial of Winston Churchill in 1965, and why U.S. President Lyndon Johnson did not attend the great man’s funeral.
David’s flair for historical detail and accuracy evident in both his nonfiction and fiction reflects his lifelong passion for stories from the past. Most of the books in his personal library of more than 7,000 volumes deal with international, political, and military history.
He has hosted his own national Sirius/XM satellite radio talk show and is a regular guest-host for talk shows across the country. Over the years he has interviewed hundreds of political leaders, authors, media personalities, historians, and business leaders. In addition, he has done voice-over work, including projects for a Smithsonian affiliate as well as a Presidential Library. Political commentator Bob Beckel says:
“Here’s a preacher who can range from ancient history to political history, to current events with ease.”
Rick Shenkman—Producer, and NY Times Best-Selling Author—says:
“Agree or disagree with him. But you'll never walk away from an encounter with David Stokes without feeling the better for it. His erudite writings and civil tongue are a model the rest of us should hope to emulate.”
An ordained minister for more than 40 years, he led congregations in Texas, Ohio, Illinois, New York, and Virginia, before retiring in 2019. He now focuses on writing full-time.
Along with his early college degrees in ministry and theology, David has a Bachelor's degree in history (Excelsior College—State University of New York), as well as a Master's degree in Political Science (Long Island University – C.W. Post College).
David has been married to his wife Karen for more than 47 years, and they have three wonderful daughters and seven incredible grandchildren.
On Twitter/X find him @DavidRStokes. Visit his author page on Facebook.
Check out David's Amazon Author Page.
