John Henry Goldfrap

author

John Henry Goldfrap

1879–1917

An early 20th-century adventure writer and journalist, he filled boys' series fiction with airships, wireless sets, scouts, and cliffhanger action. Writing under several pen names, he helped shape the fast-paced popular fiction of his era.

45 Audiobooks

The Dreadnought Boys' World Cruise

The Dreadnought Boys' World Cruise

by John Henry Goldfrap

The Boy Scouts at the Panama Canal

The Boy Scouts at the Panama Canal

by John Henry Goldfrap

The Motor Rangers' Cloud Cruiser

The Motor Rangers' Cloud Cruiser

by John Henry Goldfrap

The Boy Scouts' Mountain Camp

The Boy Scouts' Mountain Camp

by John Henry Goldfrap

The Boy Scouts on the Range

The Boy Scouts on the Range

by John Henry Goldfrap

The Boy Scouts of the Eagle Patrol

The Boy Scouts of the Eagle Patrol

by John Henry Goldfrap

The Bungalow Boys Along the Yukon

The Bungalow Boys Along the Yukon

by John Henry Goldfrap

The Border Boys on the Trail

The Border Boys on the Trail

by John Henry Goldfrap

The Boy Scouts for Uncle Sam

The Boy Scouts for Uncle Sam

by John Henry Goldfrap

The Boy Scouts' badge of courage

The Boy Scouts' badge of courage

by John Henry Goldfrap

About the author

Born in England in 1879, he later moved with his family to the United States and settled in California. He worked as a journalist before becoming a prolific writer of adventure books for young readers, especially the kind of lively series fiction that was hugely popular in the early 1900s.

He wrote under pseudonyms rather than his own name, a common practice in commercial series publishing of the time. His books often followed groups of friends through daring exploits on land, at sea, and in the air, with titles tied to scouts, aviators, wireless technology, and other modern thrills that would have felt excitingly up to date to his first readers.

He died on November 21, 1917. Though not always remembered by name, his work remains a vivid snapshot of the age of boys' adventure series and the magazine-and-newspaper world from which many such writers emerged.