Jerome David Salinger ( born January 1 , 1919 -- died January 27 , 2010 ) was an American author , best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye . Jerome David Salinger ( , ; January 1 , 1919 â `` January 27 , 2010 ) was an American author , best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye , as well as his reclusive nature .