Tony Hillerman was born in Sacred Heart, Oklahoma on May 27th, 1925. He later became an American author of non-fiction and detective novels. He is best known for his Navajo Tribal Police mystery novels, which were later adapted for television and the big screen.
Hillerman served in the army and was injured, becoming a decorated combat veteran in WWII while serving as a mortar man in the 103rd infantry division. He also earned the Bronze Star, Silver Star, and the Purple Heart for his courage and injuries in action. He earned his masters degree at the University of Oklahoma, and later worked as a journalist for 15 years. Hillerman taught journalism at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque from 1966 to 1987. He also met and married his wife Marie Unzner in 1948 and had six children. The couple was still married when Tony Hillerman passed away.
His novels are set in the four corners area of Arizona and New Mexico. Hillerman wrote 18 books in his Navajo series and more than 30 books in total. He wrote his first novel, "The Blessing Way," in 1970. Hillerman has won numerous awards for his work, such as the Edgar Award, the Grand Master Award, the Nero Award, and the Navajo Tribe's of Special Friends of Dine' Award. His top ten mystery sellers are "The Blessing Way," "Dance Hall of the Dead," "Listening Woman," "People of Darkness," "The Dark Wind," "A Thief of Time," "Talking God," "Coyote Waits," "Sacred Crowns" and "The Fallen Man."
Hillerman died in 2008 at the age of 83. He is known as a great author who wrote about many different cultures, including the Hopi, Zuni, European-American, and especially the Navajo Tribal Police. He truly had a love for the Navajo culture.
