Noel Bertram Gerson (1913-1988) was an American author who wrote 325 books, including several best sellers, among them two screenplay novelizations penned under the pseudonym Samuel Edwards, The Naked Maja, and 55 Days at Peking.[1][2]
Aside from "Samuel Edwards", which would seem to have been his dedicated by-line for tie-in work, Gerson used the following nine pseudonyms in addition to his own name: Anne Marie Burgess; Michael Burgess; Nicholas Gorham; Paul Lewis; Leon Phillips; Donald Clayton Porter; Dana Fuller Ross; Philip Vail; and Carter A. Vaughan.[4][5]
He was the son of Sam Gerson, who directed the Shubert theaters in Chicago. Gerson attended the University of Chicago, and served as the campus correspondent for the Chicago Herald-Examiner. Following graduation, he became a reporter at the paper. He later joined Chicago-based WGN as a publicity writer, subsequently becoming its talent director and main scriptwriter.[6] After his World War II military experience in Army intelligence, he began writing TV scripts before beginning his career as an author in 1950. He and his wife Marilyn had a son and three daughters.[1][2][3]
Gerson's primary focus was on historical novels, mostly stand-alone, with American history receiving considerable attention. Of note, he wrote a number of historical novels about colonial America and also the United States in its formative years.
Gerson also wrote a large number of biographies and biographical novels. These included several on U.S. presidents, such as Andrew Jackson, James Polk, and Theodore Roosevelt. Many of his biographic works also focused on notable women in history such as Empress Theodora of the Byzantine Empire; William the Conqueror's formidable wife, Matilda of Flanders; and Pocahantas.
During the latter stages of his career, Gerson wrote two series of American historical novels having characters that continued through the series. Using the pen name Dana Fuller Ross, the first was the popular twenty-four book Wagons West series that began in 1978 and is currently being republished. The first four books in this series describe the initial wagon train to Oregon beginning in 1837. Beginning in 1979, Gerson initiated a second series called White Indian using the pen name of Donald Clayton Porter. Set in the late 1600s, it portrays the life of Renno, a child of settlers, who was raised by the Seneca to become a senior warrior.[1][2][3][7]
Gerson was one of the most prolific writers of modern times, with over 150 books verifiably counted to his credit. His work can be divided into three major parts: standalone novels, including biographical ones; series novels, usually under a house pseudonym; and nonfiction. Besides his own name, he also wrote under several pen names.[7][8][9][10][11][12]
Fiction:
The Mohawk Ladder (aka Sword of Fortune) (1951)
Savage Gentleman: A Novel of the French and Indian War (aka Savage Cavalier) (1951)
The Cumberland Rifles (1952)
The Golden Eagle (1953)
The Impostor (1954)
Port Royal (1954)
The Forest Lord: A Romantic Adventure of 18th-Century Charleston (1955)
The Highwayman (1955)
The Egyptian Woman (1956)
When the Wind Blows (1956, repr 1965)
The Conqueror's Wife (as by Samuel Edwards, 1957)
Daughter of Eve (1958)
The Silver Lion (1958)
The Devil's Prize (as by Samuel Edwards, 1958)
The Invincibles (as by Carter A. Vaughan, 1958)
The Charlatan (as by Carter A. Vaughan, 1959, repr 1961)
Queen's Blade (as by Nicholas Gorham, 1959)
The Naked Maja (1959)
The Wilderness (as by Carter A. Vaughan, 1959)
The Yankee From Tennessee (1960)
Daughter of Gascony (as by Carter A. Vaughan, 1960)
The Devil's Bride (as by Carter A. Vaughan, 1960)
The Nelson Touch (1960)
The Yankee Brig (1960)
The Gentle Fury (1961)
Valley Forge (1961)
The White Plume (1961)
The Emperor Ladies (1962)
The Hittite (1962)
The Land is Bright (1962)
The Yankee Brig (as by Carter A. Vaughan, 1962)
Master of Castile (as by Samuel Edwards, 1962)
Scoundrels' Brigade (1962)
The White Plume (as by Samuel Edwards, 1962)
The Golden Lyre (1963)
The Trojan (1963)
The Girl Market (as by Ann Marie & Michael Burgess, 1963)
The Yankee Rascals (1963)
55 Days in Peking (novelization of the film, as by Samuel Edwards, 1963)
Branded Bride (1963)
The Twisted Saber: A Biographical Novel of Benedict Arnold (as by Philip Vail, 1963)
Old Hickory: A Biographical Novel of Andrew Jackson (1964)
Mister (1964)
Dragon Cove (as by Carter A. Vaughan, 1964, repr 1979)
The Yankee Rascals (as by Carter A. Vaughan, 1964)
The Sea Panther (as by Philip Vail, 1964)
The Men in Her Life: A Contemporary Novel (as by Nicholas Gorham, 1965)
The Slender Reed: A Biographical Novel of James Knox Polk (1965)
Yankee Doodle Dandy: A Biographical Novel of John Hancock (1965)
Roanoke Warrior (as by Carter A. Vaughan, 1965)
Give Me Liberty (1966)
Mr. Madison's War (1966)
Fortress Fury (as by Carter A. Vaughan, 1966, repr 1981)
^Lynda G. Adamson, World Historical Fiction: An Annotated Guide to Novels for Adults and Young Adults. Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN9781573560665 (p. 34).
