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Brad Meltzer

Goodreads Author

Born

in Brooklyn, New York, The United States

Website

http://www.bradmeltzer.com/

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bradmeltzer

Genre

Mystery & Thrillers, History, Children's

Member Since

July 2011

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/bradmeltzer

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Brad Meltzer is the Emmy-nominated, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lightning Rod, The Escape Artist, and eleven other bestselling thrillers. He also writes non-fiction books like The JFK Conspiracy, about a secret plot to kill JFK before he was sworn in – and the Ordinary People Change the World kids book series, which he does with Chris Eliopoulos and inspired the PBS KIDS TV show, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. His newest kids books are We are the Beatles, We are the Beatles, and I am Simone Biles. His newest inspirational book is Make Magic, based on his viral commencement address.

In addition to his fiction, Brad is one of the only authors to ever have books on the bestseller list for Non-Fiction (The Nazi Conspiracy), Brad Meltzer is the Emmy-nominated, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lightning Rod, The Escape Artist, and eleven other bestselling thrillers. He also writes non-fiction books like The JFK Conspiracy, about a secret plot to kill JFK before he was sworn in – and the Ordinary People Change the World kids book series, which he does with Chris Eliopoulos and inspired the PBS KIDS TV show, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. His newest kids books are We are the Beatles, We are the Beatles, and I am Simone Biles. His newest inspirational book is Make Magic, based on his viral commencement address.

In addition to his fiction, Brad is one of the only authors to ever have books on the bestseller list for Non-Fiction (The Nazi Conspiracy), Advice (Heroes for My Son and Heroes for My Daughter), Children’s Books (I Am Amelia Earhart and I Am Abraham Lincoln) and even comic books (Justice League of America), for which he won the prestigious Eisner Award.

He is also the host of Brad Meltzer’s Lost History and Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on the History Channel, and is responsible for helping find the missing 9/11 flag that the firefighters raised at Ground Zero, making national news on the 15th anniversary of 9/11. Meltzer unveiled the flag at the 9/11 Museum in New York, where it is now on display. See the video here. The Hollywood Reporter recently put him on their list of Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Authors.

He also recently delivered the commencement address at the University of Michigan, in front of 70,000 people, including his graduating son. Entitled Make Magic and called “one of the best commencement addresses of all time,” it’s been shared millions of times across social media. Do yourself a favor, watch it here and buy the book here.

For sure, it’s tough to find anyone being so successful in so many different mediums of the popular culture. But why does Brad thrive in all these different professions? His belief that ordinary people change the world. It is that core belief that runs through every one of his projects.

His newest thriller, The Lightning Rod, brings back characters Nola and Zig in a setting that will blow your mind (you won't believe where the government let Brad go). For now, we'll say this: What's the one secret no one knows about you? It's about to come out. Nearly 2,000 five-star reviews. Raves by everyone from the Wall Street Journal, to James Patterson, to Brad's mother-in-law. Plus that twist at the end! And yes, the new Zig & Nola thriller is coming soon!

His newest non-fiction book, The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy -- and Why It Failed, which he wrote with Josh Mensch, is a true story about a secret assassination plot to kill JFK at the start of his Presidency and, if successful, would’ve changed history.

His illustrated children’s books I Am Amelia Earhart and I Am Abraham Lincoln, which he does with artist Chris Eliopoulos, were written for his own children, to give them better heroes to look up to. Try them. You won’t believe how inspired you and your family will be. Some of our favorites in the series are I am Mister Rogers and I am Dolly Parton.

His other non-fiction books, Heroes for My Son and Heroes for My Daughter, are collections of heroes – from Jim Henson to Sally Ride — that he’s been working on since the day his kids were born and is on sale now, as well as History Decoded: The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time.

He’s also one of the co-creators of the TV show, Jack & Bobby.

Raised in Brooklyn and Miami, Brad is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Columbia Law School. The Tenth Justice was his first published work and became an instant New York Times bestseller. Dead Even followed a year later and also hit the New York Times bestseller list, as have all thirteen of his novels. The First Counsel came next, which was about a White House lawyer dating the President’s daughter, then The Millionaires, which was about two brothers who ...more

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Combine Editions
Brad Meltzer’s books

Average rating: 3.92 · 305,530 ratings · 25,687 reviews · 321 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Inner Circle (Culper Ring, #1) 3.82 avg rating — 26,306 ratings — published 2011 — 67 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Escape Artist (Escape Artist #1) 3.82 avg rating — 24,215 ratings — published 2018 — 31 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author), Rags Morales (Illustrator), Michael Bair (Illustrator) 4.05 avg rating — 22,094 ratings — published 2004	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Fifth Assassin (Culper Ring, #2) 3.89 avg rating — 17,002 ratings — published 2013 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Tenth Justice 3.95 avg rating — 14,340 ratings — published 1997 — 72 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Zero Game 3.91 avg rating — 13,491 ratings — published 2004 — 72 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington by Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author), Josh Mensch (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 13,689 ratings — published 2019 — 20 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Book of Lies 3.64 avg rating — 13,704 ratings — published 2008 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Book of Fate 3.64 avg rating — 12,594 ratings — published 2006 — 27 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The President's Shadow (Culper Ring, #3) 3.84 avg rating — 11,744 ratings — published 2015 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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21 posts
Brad Meltzer's Blog

The Oath

When I was 24 years old, my mentor, Eli Segal, asked to write an oath. It was for this new program called AmeriCorps, to help people see the power of service. Co-writing that AmeriCorps oath is one of the things I'm most proud of. I've see it uttered by Presidents Clinton, Bush, and today, President Obama, who administered it via simulcast as I was swearing in 1,000 people in Florida. There's no p Read more of this blog post »

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Published on September 12, 2014 07:00

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Series by Brad Meltzer

Culper Ring (3 books)
by

Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author)

3.85 avg rating — 55,052 ratings

Zig & Nola (3 books)
by

Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author)

3.85 avg rating — 33,125 ratings

Identity Crisis (7 books)
by

Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author),

Michael Turner (Cover Art),

Michael Bair (Inker),

Rags Morales (Penciller)

4.05 avg rating — 24,539 ratings

Ordinary People Change the World (44 books)
by

Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author),

Christopher Eliopoulos (Illustrator)

4.43 avg rating — 18,435 ratings

Conspiracy (2 books)
by

Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author),

Josh Mensch (Goodreads Author)

3.98 avg rating — 20,250 ratings

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Believe it or not, it's time once again for our annual midyear assessment of the year’s most popular books, so far, according to Goodreads...

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Brad Meltzer is now friends with Megan
Apr 29, 2025 08:33AM · like
Brad Meltzer rated a book it was amazing I am Temple Grandin (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 18, 2024 01:56PM · 7 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I am Temple Grandin by Brad Meltzer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I am Temple Grandin by Brad Meltzer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Dec 18, 2024 01:56PM · 5 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I am John Lewis by Brad Meltzer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I am John Lewis by Brad Meltzer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brad Meltzer finished reading I am Temple Grandin (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 18, 2024 01:55PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I am Temple Grandin by Brad Meltzer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I am Temple Grandin by Brad Meltzer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Dec 18, 2024 01:55PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I am Sally Ride by Brad Meltzer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I am Sally Ride by Brad Meltzer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brad Meltzer rated a book it was amazing I am Jesse Owens (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 18, 2024 01:55PM · 6 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I am Jesse Owens by Brad Meltzer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I am Jesse Owens by Brad Meltzer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brad Meltzer rated a book it was amazing I am Stephen Hawking (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 18, 2024 01:55PM · 7 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I am Stephen Hawking by Brad Meltzer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I am Stephen Hawking by Brad Meltzer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brad Meltzer wants to read Make Magic: The Book of Inspiration You Didn't Know You Needed―A Little Self-Help Book of Hope for a Fulfilling Life and a Great Graduation Gift by Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 18, 2024 01:55PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Make Magic by Brad Meltzer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Make Magic by Brad Meltzer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brad Meltzer rated a book it was amazing The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy―and Why It Failed by Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Loved it. My favorite authors. Seriously, READ IT!
Dec 18, 2024 01:49PM · 25 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The JFK Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The JFK Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brad Meltzer wants to read We are The Beatles (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 18, 2024 01:48PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of We are The Beatles by Brad Meltzer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — We are The Beatles by Brad Meltzer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Brad Meltzer (?)

“We are all ordinary. We are all boring. We are all spectacular. We are all shy. We are all bold. We are all heroes. We are all helpless. It just depends on the day.”
― Brad Meltzer

tags: heroes, humanity, life

317 likes

“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.”
― Brad Meltzer

tags: compassion, humanity, kindness

289 likes

“there's nothing more intimate in life than simply being understood. And understanding someone else.”
― Brad Meltzer, The Inner Circle

244 likes

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Brad’s Quotes

“Stories aren’t the beauty of what did happen. They’re the beauty of what could happen.”
― Brad Meltzer

33 likes

“You may never make peace with your father. But you can always make peace with yourself.”
― Brad Meltzer, The President's Shadow

4 likes

“Y’know what they call the person who does all the work but gets none of the credit? An opportunity.”
― Brad Meltzer, The President's Shadow

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“The only thing worse than remembering the past is the fear of reliving it.”
― Brad Meltzer, The President's Shadow

18 likes

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