Silva, Daniel (1960-…), is a best-selling American author of spy and international intrigue novels. Silva became famous for his novels featuring Gabriel Allon. Allon is an Israeli secret agent who also works as an art restorer and sometimes as an assassin. Silva’s novels have been praised for their suspense, realism, and careful research.
Most of the Allon novels center on such themes as international terrorism and illegal activities by powerful international corporations. Silva also has explored events related to World War II (1939-1945), including the Holocaust, the systematic and state-sponsored killing of Jews and others by the Nazis before and during the war.
Silva’s first novel was the thriller The Unlikely Spy (1996). His next two books—The Mark of the Assassin (1998) and The Marching Season (1999)—were novels of international intrigue that featured American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent Michael Osbourne. Silva introduced Allon in his fourth novel, The Kill Artist (2000). All his later novels focus on Allon.
Daniel Joseph Silva was born on Dec. 19, 1960, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and grew up in California. He was raised a Roman Catholic but converted to Judaism as an adult. Silva worked as a newspaper and television journalist for United Press International from 1984 to 1988. He then served as an executive producer of political news programs for the Cable News Network (CNN) from 1988 to 1997, when he became a full-time novelist.
