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P. D. James (1920–2014)

Author of The Children of Men

Includes the names: PDJams, P.D. ames, JAMES P. D., P. D. James, Phyllis D. James, Baroness P. D. James, Phyllis Dorothy James, Phillis Dorothy James, Baroness James Of Holland Park, psevd. for Phyllis James White Phyllis Dorothy Jam ... (see complete list)

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P. D. James, pseudonym of Phyllis Dorothy James White, was born on August 3, 1920 in Oxford, England. During World War II, she served as a Red Cross nurse. She worked in administration for 19 years with the National Health Service. After the death of her husband in 1964, she took a Civil Service examination and became an administrator in the forensic science and criminal law divisions of the Department of Home Affairs. She spent 30 years in British Civil Service. She became Baroness James of Holland Park in 1991. Her first novel, Cover Her Face, was published in 1962. She wrote approximately 20 books during her lifetime including the Adam Dalgliesh Mystery series, the Cordelia Gray Mystery series, and Death Comes to Pemberley. She became a full-time writer in 1979. Three titles in the Adam Dalgliesh Mystery series received the Silver Dagger award--Shroud for a Nightingale, The Black Tower, and A Taste for Death. In 2000, she published her autobiography, Time to Be in Earnest. Her dystopian novel, The Children of Men, was adapted into a movie in 2006. She received the Diamond Dagger award for lifetime achievement. She died on November 27, 2014 at the age of 94. (Bowker Author Biography) P. D. James served in the forensic & criminal justice departments of Great Britain's Home Office until her retirement in 1979. She was made a Life Peer in 1991. Her detective novels include "Cover Her Face", "An Unsuitable Job for a Woman", "Death of an Expert Witness", "A Taste for Death", "Original Sin", & "A Certain Justice", many of which have been adapted for television. Her autobiography, "Time to be in Earnest", was published in 2000. (Publisher Provided) — biography from The Children of Men… (more)
Series
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Works by P. D. James
The Children of Men 5,643 copies, 198 reviews
Death Comes to Pemberley 4,760 copies, 319 reviews
The Lighthouse 3,721 copies, 70 reviews
Death in Holy Orders 3,597 copies, 51 reviews
The Murder Room 3,459 copies, 66 reviews
Cover Her Face 3,221 copies, 85 reviews
A Taste for Death 3,048 copies, 37 reviews
Devices and Desires 3,045 copies, 42 reviews
A Certain Justice 3,042 copies, 37 reviews
The Private Patient 2,971 copies, 94 reviews
Original Sin 2,886 copies, 39 reviews
An Unsuitable Job for a Woman 2,538 copies, 53 reviews
Death of an Expert Witness 2,359 copies, 42 reviews
A Mind to Murder 2,228 copies, 51 reviews
The Black Tower 2,170 copies, 42 reviews
Shroud for a Nightingale 2,130 copies, 41 reviews
Unnatural Causes (Author) 2,079 copies, 40 reviews
The Skull Beneath the Skin 2,050 copies, 33 reviews
Innocent Blood 1,836 copies, 36 reviews
Talking About Detective Fiction 698 copies, 49 reviews
The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories 697 copies, 39 reviews
Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales 516 copies, 23 reviews
Time to Be in Earnest: A Fragment of Autobiography 491 copies, 9 reviews
The Maul and the Pear Tree: The Ratcliffe Highway Murders, 1811 436 copies, 10 reviews
In Murderous Company (Unnatural Causes / An Unsuitable Job for a Woman /… 230 copies, 1 review
P.D. James: Three Complete Novels (Cover Her Face | A Mind to Murder |… 147 copies, 1 review
Deadly Pleasures: The Black Tower | Death of an Expert Witness | The Skull… 133 copies
Shroud for a Nightingale | The Black Tower | Death of an Expert Witness 81 copies
Trilogy of Death: Innocent Blood/An Unsuitable Job for a Woman/The Skull… 69 copies
Innocent House (Pocket Penguins 70's S.) 64 copies
A Suitable Job for a Woman 47 copies, 1 review
A Second Dalgliesh Trilogy 41 copies
An Adam Dalgliesh Omnibus (A Taste for Death / Devices and Desires /… 33 copies
The Part-Time Job 29 copies, 4 reviews
The Victim [Short story] 28 copies, 1 review
Cover Her Face/Shroud for a Nightingale/Skull Beneath the Skin/A Taste for… 26 copies, 1 review
The Omnibus: An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by | Death of an Expert Witness… 19 copies, 1 review
Sightlines 16 copies, 1 review
The Girl Who Loved Graveyards 16 copies
P. D. James BBC Radio Drama Collection: Seven Full-Cast Dramatisations 13 copies
P.D. James Omnibus (Unnatural Causes / Shroud for a Nightingale / An… 12 copies
A Taste For Death (BBC Audio) 10 copies
Devices and Desires [BBC Radio Collection] 10 copies
Trilogy of Death: Death of an Expert Witness/Innocent Blood/The Skull… 10 copies
The Acts of the Apostles (Pocket Canon Bible) 10 copies
América 8 copies
Cordelia Gray Mysteries: An Unsuitable Job for a Woman and The Skull… 8 copies
Das große Krimi- Lesebuch. 7 copies
Mistlar och mord. Fyra julmysterier av P.D. James 7 copies
Encounters with Lord Peter 7 copies
P. D. James's Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries: Cover Her Face, A Mind to Murder,… 7 copies
An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (BBC Radio Collection) 6 copies
Inspecteur Dalgliesh omnibus 5 copies
An Unsuitable Job for a Woman [and] Death of an Expert Witness 5 copies
Original sin; Death in holy orders; The murder room 5 copies
Great Aunt Allie's Flypapers 5 copies
A Certain Justice (BBC Radio Collection: Crimes and Thrillers) 4 copies
The Skull Beneath the Skin: BBC Radio 4 Full-cast Dramatisation (BBC Radio… 4 copies
Kat in het nauw ; Tehuis met vele vrienden 4 copies
Inspecteur Dalgliesh tweede omnibus 4 copies
Intégrale P. D. James, tome 1 : La Proie pour l'ombre‎ 5/5 4 copies
Adam Dalgliesh Chronicles [DVD] 3 copies
The Private Patient (BBC Radio Drama) 3 copies
Inspecteur Dalgliesh derde omnibus 3 copies
P-D James : Tome 3, Un certain goût pour la mort, Par action et par… 3 copies
P. D. James Box Set (The Black Tower, Shroud for a Nightingale, Unnatural… 3 copies
Kuolema joulupäivänä : kuusi murhaavaa kertomusta 3 copies
3x Adam Dalgliesh 3 copies, 1 review
Death of an Expert Witness [and] Shroud for a Nightingale 3 copies
Les enquêtes d'Adam Dalgliesh, Tome 2 : 2 copies
Země prázdných domů 2 copies
Meurtre Dans Un Fauteuil Un Certain Gout Pour La Mort 2 copies
Les douze indices de Noël et autres récits 2 copies
The Skull Beneath the Skin / Devices and Desires / Cover Her Face 2 copies
4 Titles - PD James - Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries Series - 1) The Murder Room… 2 copies
Murder 1986 2 copies
A proposito del giallo: Autori, personaggi, modelli (Piccola biblioteca… 2 copies
Rare -P.D. James DEVICES & DESIRES First edition An Adam Dalgleish Mystery 2 copies
The Murder of Santa Claus [Short story] 2 copies
Intégrales P.D. James - tome 2 (Les Intégrales du Masque) (French… 2 copies
James P.D, l'intégrales tome 1 2 copies
Tre casi per Dalgliesh (Omnibus gialli) 2 copies
Cover her face; A mind to murder; Unnatural causes; Shroud for a… 2 copies
Geen werk voor een vrouw ; Melodie des doods 2 copies
No title 2 copies
Moment of Power 2 copies
O Cadáver sem Mãos 1 copy
Crimes e Desejos Livro 1 1 copy
Murder and mystery : the craft of the detective story 1 copy
O Cadáver sem Mãos Livro 1 1 copy
OS SEGREDOS DO ROMANCE POLICIAL - HISTÓRIA DAS HISTÓRIAS DE DETETIVE… 1 copy
The private patien 1 copy
Un indizio per Cordelia Gray-Un lavoro inadatto a una donna (titolo… 1 copy
Meurtres en blouse blanche - Une enquête d'Adam Dalgliesh 1 copy
Kuolema joulupäivänä : kuusi murhaavaa kertomusta 1 copy
Sangue innocente; Rilegato 1 copy
Um Gosto por Morte 1 copy
Takard el az arcát! 1 copy
Az ember gyermeke 1 copy
HLa Istanza dei delitti 1 copy
La stanza dei delitti 1 copy
O Enigma de Sally 1 copy
Les enquêtes d'Adam Dalgliesh tome 2 mort d' un expert, un certain gout… 1 copy
P.D. James : The Essential Collection [15 Discs] 1 copy
Le plus noir des crimes 1 copy
Lady Killers / Acht atemberaubende Krimis von den vier weltbesten… 1 copy
crown princess and unnatural causes 1 copy
Sleep No More 1 copy
Intrigas y deseos (Adam Dalgliesh 8): DETECTIVE ADAM DALGLIESH (Spanish… 1 copy
MORTALHA PARA UMA ENFERMEIRA 1 copy
Murder in the Dark 1 copy
A Paciente Misteriosa 1 copy
Threebies: P.D. James (A Format) (Faber "Threebies") 1 copy
Slut hennes g̲on [en Adam Dalgliesh-roman] 1 copy
The Borges lectures 1 copy
The Lighthouse, The Murder Room 1 copy
A Taste for Death; The Lighthouse; The Murder Room 1 copy
A Very Desirable Residence 1 copy
L'Ispettore Dalgliesh 1 copy
"Ne zhenskoe delo". "Litso eÑ‘ zakroite". "Neestestvennye prichiny".… 1 copy
The Murder Room & Death In Holy Orders by P.D. James (2 Tradebacks) 1 copy
Day Of The Dead 1 copy
Threebies: P.D. James (B Format) 1 copy
A Taste for Death: Part 2 of 2 (Adam Dalgliesh Mystery, 7th) 1 copy
Omnibus: An Unsuitable Job For A Woman / Cover Her Face (Cordelia Gray, #1… 1 copy
Caminho: Crimes E Desejos 1 copy
Intégrale P. D. James, tome 1 : à visage couvert 1/5 1 copy
The P. D. James collection. Featuring Death of an expert witness, Shroud… 1 copy
P.D. James, The Essential Collection DVD (15 DVD set) 1 copy
Crooked Letter 1 copy
Demolition angel 1 copy
The locals 1 copy
The Twelve Clues of Christmas (see The Mistletoe Murder) 1 copy
Der Beigeschmack des Todes. Ihres Vaters Haus 1 copy
La Stanza dei delitti. Collana le strade del giallo. 1 copy
La seconda trilogia Dalgliesh: Copritele il volto-Per cause… 1 copy
La trilogia Dalgliesh: Una mente per uccidere-Un gusto per la morte-Una… 1 copy
Three Complete Novels: Cover her Face; A Mind to Murder: Shroud for a… 1 copy
Vrouw op het spoor 1 copy
Three Complete Novels                  1 copy
Vägivaldne surm : [romaan] 1 copy
P D James The Collection Volume 1 7 Disc set Adam Dalgleish Mysteries 1 copy
Armadilhas e Desejos 1 copy
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Also by P. D. James
Doctor Thorne (Introduction, some editions) 2,032 copies, 63 reviews
English Country House Murders (Contributor) 466 copies, 11 reviews
The Victorian Chaise-Longue (Preface, some editions) 438 copies, 25 reviews
The Beast Must Die (Introduction, some editions) 410 copies, 20 reviews
Children of Men [2006 film] (Original novel) 397 copies, 4 reviews
The Oxford Book of English Detective Stories (Contributor) 391 copies, 5 reviews
Great Detectives: A Century of the Best Mysteries from England and America (Contributor) 345 copies, 4 reviews
800 Years of Women’s Letters (Foreword) 206 copies, 1 review
The Case of the Abominable Snowman (Introduction, some editions) 197 copies, 4 reviews
Murder on the Menu: Cordon Bleu Stories of Crime and Mystery, Volume 1 (Contributor) 191 copies, 2 reviews
Masterpieces of Mystery and Suspense (Contributor) 183 copies, 2 reviews
The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers: 1899-1936: The Making of a Detective… (Preface, some editions) 166 copies, 3 reviews
The Penguin Book of Modern Fantasy by Women (Contributor) 162 copies, 3 reviews
This Is My Best: Great Writers Share Their Favorite Work (Contributor) 155 copies, 3 reviews
London After Midnight : A Tour of Its Criminal Haunts (Contributor) 134 copies
Dorothy L. Sayers: A Biography (Foreword) 121 copies, 2 reviews
The Folio Book of Christmas Crime Stories (Contributor) 115 copies, 1 review
The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers: 1937-1943, From Novelist to Playwright (Preface, some editions) 97 copies, 1 review
A New Omnibus of Crime (Contributor) 95 copies, 2 reviews
The International Association of Crime Writers Presents Bad Behavior (Contributor) 88 copies
The Mammoth Book of Great Detective Stories (Contributor) 79 copies, 1 review
A Classic English Crime: 13 Stories for the Christie Centenary (Contributor) 75 copies
The Detection Collection (Contributor) 74 copies, 6 reviews
A Classic Christmas Crime (Contributor) 72 copies, 2 reviews
Verdict of 13 (Contributor) 69 copies, 1 review
The New Mystery: The International Association of Crime Writers' Essential… (Contributor) 60 copies, 1 review
Autumn: A Spiritual Biography of the Season (Contributor) 57 copies, 2 reviews
The Penguin Classic Crime Omnibus (Contributor) 53 copies
Death Comes to Pemberley [2013 TV mini-series] (Original book) 52 copies, 1 review
The Web She Weaves: An Anthology of Mystery and Suspense Stories by Women (Contributor) 51 copies, 2 reviews
65 Great Murder Mysteries (Contributor) 41 copies
More Murder Most Cozy: More Mysteries in the Classic Tradition (Contributor) 39 copies
Great Tours and Detours: The Sophisticated Traveler Series (Contributor) 34 copies, 1 review
The Vintage Book of Classic Crime (Contributor) 33 copies
Great Law and Order Stories (Contributor) 29 copies
Ellery Queen's Anthology #30: Masters of Mystery (Fall/Winter 1975) (Contributor) 28 copies
Slightly Foxed 12: The Irresistible Heptaplasiesoptron (Contributor) 26 copies
Slightly Foxed 69: The Pram in the Hall (Contributor) 26 copies
Future Crimes (Contributor) 22 copies, 1 review
Lapham's Quarterly - The Future: Volume IV, Number 4, Fall 2011 (Contributor) 22 copies
The Verdict of Us All (Contributor) 21 copies
Crime Writers (Contributor) 21 copies
Murder on the Menu: Cordon Bleu Stories of Crime and Mystery, Volume 2 (Contributor) 20 copies
The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers: Volume Four: 1951-1957: In the Midst of… (Preface, some editions) 17 copies
Tales of Obsession: Mystery Stories of Fatal Attractions and Deadly… (Contributor) 16 copies
A Feast of Stories (Contributor) 14 copies, 1 review
The Man Who ... (Contributor) 13 copies, 1 review
A Taste for Death [1988 TV mini series] (Writer) 13 copies
John Creasey's Crime Collection, 1985 (Contributor) 12 copies
The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers. Volume Three. 1944-1950: A Noble Daring (Preface) 12 copies
The Body and the Arts (Contributor) 9 copies
Damas del crimen (Contributor) 9 copies, 1 review
Writing Mystery and Crime Fiction (Contributor) 8 copies, 1 review
Dangerous Ladies (Contributor) 8 copies
Devices and Desires [1991 TV mini series] (Writer) 7 copies, 1 review
The Best of Winter's Crimes: A selection from Winter's Crimes 1-17, .Vol 1 7 copies
John Creasey's Crime Collection, 1981 (Contributor) 6 copies, 1 review
Winter's Crimes 8 6 copies
En Kriminelt god jul : femten svarte julefortellinger (Contributor) 6 copies
Original Sin [1997 TV mini series] (Screenwriter) 5 copies
Winter's Crimes 15 5 copies
Innocent Blood | Beware Young Lovers | They Stay for Death (Contributor) 4 copies
London After Midnight: A Conducted Tour, Part 1 (Contributor) 4 copies
Newfield Mystery Suspense Collection: Original Sin / Mrs. Pollifax Pursued… (Contributor) 3 copies
The Skull Beneath the Skin | The Fantastic Saint | Vanishing Point (Contributor) 3 copies
Maigret and the Hotel Majestic | The Watcher | Death of an Expert Witness 3 copies
John Creasey's Crime Collection, 1982 (Contributor) 3 copies
Best Detective Stories 1980 (Contributor) 3 copies
Du sang sous le sapin 2 copies, 1 review
Das Grosse Lesebuch des Englischen Krimis 2 copies
Bombship | Innocent Blood | The Saint and the Templar Treasure 2 copies
A Very British Murder with Lucy Worsley [2013 TV mini series] (Herself) 1 copy
The Case of the Russian Diplomat | Maigret and the Hotel Majestic | Death… 1 copy
Nine O'Clock Tide | Death of an Expert Witness | The Man with the… 1 copy
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Canonical name
Legal name
James, Phyllis Dorothy
White, Phyllis Dorothy (married)
Other names
Baroness James of Holland Park
Date of birth
1920-08-03
Date of death
2014-11-27
Burial location
Gender
female
Nationality
UK
Country (for map)
Birthplace
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Place of death
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK (at home)
Cause of death
Places of residence
London, England, UK
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Education
Cambridge High School for Girls
Occupations
novelist
civil servant
magistrate
governor (BBC)
Member of the House of Lords (Conservative)
Relationships
Agents
Greene and Heaton
Organizations
Society of Authors (president | 1997-2013)
Arts Council (literary advisory panel chairman)
British Broadcasting Corporation (governor)
British Council (board member)
Downing College, Cambridge (honorary fellow)
Awards and honors
Mystery Writers of America (best novel runner up | 1971 | 1973 | 1986 | grand master lifetime achievement | 1999)
Crime Writers' Association (silver dagger | 1972 | 1976 | 1987 | diamond dagger lifetime achievement | 1987)
Order of the British Empire (officer | 1983)
Royal Society of Literature (fellow | 1987)
life peerage (1991)
Short biography
Disambiguation notice

Links

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1 199
1.5 51
2 794
2.5 251
3 3557
3.5 1132
4 4894
4.5 386
5 1893

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