Thomson Burtis

Henry Thomson Burtis was an American writer born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 2, 1896. Before turning fully to writing, he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Service and later worked with the aerial border patrol, experience that gave his fiction an authentic feel and a strong connection to early flight.

He went on to write more than two hundred stories for pulp magazines, including Adventure, along with more than twenty novels. Many of his best-known books were written for younger readers and centered on aviation, making him a familiar name for readers who loved action, aircraft, and the romance of the air.

Burtis died on April 24, 1971. He is remembered as one of the writers who helped turn the daring world of early aviation into lively popular fiction, especially for readers who wanted excitement, speed, and a hero in the cockpit.