Howard Pease

Born in Stockton, California, in 1894, Howard Pease spent most of his life in the San Francisco Bay Area. He studied at Stanford University, served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War I, and later returned to finish his degree. Before and alongside his writing, he also taught English and worked as a school principal.

Pease drew heavily on his own time at sea. He shipped out on cargo vessels and used that firsthand knowledge to write adventure fiction centered on merchant ships, waterfronts, and far-off ports. His best-known books follow Tod Moran, a young seaman whose voyages mix danger, mystery, and the everyday details of life aboard tramp steamers.

His first novel appeared in 1926, and he went on to publish more than twenty novels. Although he is remembered mainly as a children's and young adult adventure writer, his books were admired well beyond their original audience and were later cited as early favorites by several notable authors. He died in San Rafael, California, in 1974.