Peter B. (Peter Bernard) Kyne

Born in San Francisco in 1880, Peter B. Kyne became a prolific American novelist and short-story writer whose work appeared between the early 1900s and 1940. He is especially remembered for stories rooted in the American West, northern California, and the worlds of lumber, shipping, and ranching.

His breakthrough came with The Three Godfathers in 1913, and he went on to build a wide readership with books such as The Go-Getter and the popular Cappy Ricks stories. A remarkable number of his works were adapted for film during the silent era and beyond, which helped keep his storytelling alive for new audiences.

Kyne spent both his early and later life in San Francisco, where he died in 1957. Today he is remembered as a brisk, entertaining writer whose fiction blended action, sentiment, humor, and a strong feel for place.