Craigan Paul Shirley is an American author, lecturer, historian, and public affairs consultant.

Shirley was born in Syracuse, New York, on September 24, 1956. He attended Springfield College in Massachusetts, graduating in 1978 with degrees in history and political science.

He got his start in politics as a child, walking door to door campaigning for 1964 Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. Upon graduation from college, he worked on the political campaign of Gordon J. Humphrey, who served as U.S. Senator from New Hampshire from 1979 to 1990. Shirley met future president Ronald Reagan while working on Humphrey's campaign. This led to Shirley's work for political action committees for Reagan in 1980 and 1984.

Shirley joined the Republican National Committee in 1982 and served as the Communications Director for the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) in 1984. He worked on President George H.W. Bush's campaign for president in 1988.

Shirley has founded and served in executive positions at several public affairs firms including Shirley and Banister Public Affairs.

Craig Shirley has authored and edited numerous books on American history and politics including, Reagan’s Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All (2005), Rendezvous with Destiny: Ronald Reagan and the Campaign That Changed America (2009), December 1941: 31 Days That Changed America and Saved the World (2011), Last Act: The Final Years and Emerging Legacy of Ronald Reagan (2015), Reagan Rising: The Decisive Years, 1976-1980 (2017), Citizen Newt: The Making of a Reagan Conservative (2017), Mary Ball Washington: The Untold Story of George Washington's Mother (2019), and April 1945: The Hinge of History (2022).

Shirley is married to Zorine Shirley and resides in Virginia. They have four children.