author
John Gilmore
Known for raw Hollywood memoirs, true-crime books, and hard-boiled fiction, this Los Angeles writer brought a gritty, insider feel to everything he wrote. His work often explored the darker corners of fame, crime, and city life.
1 Audiobook
Storm Warriors; or, Life-Boat Work on the Goodwin Sands
by John Gilmore
About the author
John Gilmore was an American author and gonzo journalist born in Los Angeles in 1935. He became known for iconoclastic writing about Hollywood, true crime, and noir-flavored fiction, with a style that was direct, vivid, and often deliberately provocative.
Before building his reputation as a writer, he also worked as a motion picture, television, and stage actor in Los Angeles and New York during the 1950s. That experience helped shape the insider perspective found in much of his later work, especially his writing about old Hollywood and the myths surrounding it.
Gilmore published books that ranged from memoir and cultural history to crime writing, and he remained closely identified with Los Angeles throughout his career. He died in 2016, leaving behind a body of work remembered for its toughness, curiosity, and fascination with the city's hidden stories.