The 25th Hour
Benioff's debut novel and first published book.
Author guide
David Benioff Books in Order
David Benioff was born and raised in New York City and is an American novelist, screenwriter, and television producer. His published books comprise the crime novel The 25th Hour, the short-story collection When the Nines Roll Over and Other Stories, and the historical novel City of Thieves. He also adapted The 25th Hour for Spike Lee's feature film and co-created the HBO series Game of Thrones.
literary fictioncrime fictionhistorical fictionshort stories
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
City of Thieves
A standalone historical novel and his latest published novel.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (2)
- The 25th Hour
novel · 2001
From the writer of the award-winning Game of Thrones series for HBO based on the books of George R. R. Martin. 'David Benioff is an exceptional storyteller' Khaled Hosseini '[An] acerbically captivating first novel' New York Times Also…
- City of Thieves
novel · 2008
From the critically acclaimed author of The 25th Hour and When the Nines Roll Over and co-creator of the HBO series Game of Thrones, a captivating novel about war, courage, survival — and a remarkable friendship that ripples across a…
Short fiction (1)
- When the Nines Roll Over and Other Stories
short-story-collection · 2004
"The stories of When the Nines Roll Over explore the sometimes thrilling, sometimes pathetic emotional lives of a diverse set of characters. Over the course of eight stories, often with a touch of the surreal, we are introduced to a…
Frequently asked questions about David Benioff
Who is David Benioff, and what is he best known for?
David Benioff is an American novelist, screenwriter, and television producer best known as a co-creator and executive producer of HBO’s Game of Thrones. He also adapted his first novel, The 25th Hour, into Spike Lee’s feature film.
Sources: penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)televisionacademy.com (opens in a new tab)
What is David Benioff’s real name, and where did he grow up?
David Benioff was born David Friedman and was born and raised in New York City. He adopted his mother’s maiden name, Benioff, professionally to distinguish himself from other writers named David Friedman.
Sources: archive.dartmouthalumnimagazine.com (opens in a new tab)penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)
How did David Benioff get started as a screenwriter?
His screenwriting career grew out of the success of his first novel, The 25th Hour. He wrote the screenplay for Spike Lee’s film adaptation, after which he began writing additional feature-film scripts.
Sources: archive.dartmouthalumnimagazine.com (opens in a new tab)penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)
What inspired David Benioff to write City of Thieves?
Benioff developed the story over several years and researched the Siege of Leningrad extensively. He cited Harrison Salisbury’s The Nine Hundred Days and Curzio Malaparte’s Kaputt as especially important influences, while clarifying that the novel’s grandfather was fictional rather than a literal account of his own grandfather’s life.
What awards has David Benioff won?
The Television Academy lists Benioff as the winner of six Primetime Emmy Awards. His wins include Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and multiple Outstanding Drama Series awards as an executive producer of Game of Thrones.
Sources: televisionacademy.com (opens in a new tab)televisionacademy.com (opens in a new tab)