J.T. Edson

J.T. Edson, full name John Thomas Edson, was an English author who wrote over 130 novels in his career. He wrote mostly escapism adventures such as Westerns and police procedurals. He started his writing career in 1947 and would continue until 2005 when he retired due to health reasons. He passed away in 2014. Edson is best known for his use of recurring characters as well as using historical figures and combining them with fictional characters. Some of his best known creations were Ole Devil, Waxahachie, and Bunduki. His villains were often stereotypical, but his protagonists were always larger than life heroes that inspired loyalty among readers. Young Ole Devil is the first book in the Ole Devil Hardin series of books. This book tells the story of Jackson Baines Hardin who is sent on a mission by Major Sam Houston to deliver a shipment of rifles to a group of Texas patriots fighting for independence. Hardin is considered to be reckless and irresponsible by his superiors, but he turns out to be just the man for the job as his fighting ways earn him the nickname “lil’ ole devil” in this story of Western yesteryear.