A Twentieth-century American author, he is especially known for historical fiction novels that capture the spirit of life on the American frontier. His best-known works include The Sea of Grass (1937), The Awakening Land Trilogy (1940-1950), and The Light in the Forest (1953). He became editor of a Pennsylvania newspaper when he was just nineteen years old. In the 1930s, he began publishing his short stories in pulp magazines.
