William W. Johnstone

American author

William Wallace Johnstone (October 28, 1938 – February 8, 2004) was an American author most known for his western, horror, and survivalist novels.

Born and raised in southern Missouri, Johnstone was the youngest of four children. His father was a minister and his mother a school teacher. He left school when he was 15 and worked in a carnival and as a deputy sheriff. He later served in the United States Army and, upon returning to civilian life, worked in radio broadcasting for 16 years.

Johnstone started his writing career in 1970, but did not have any works published until 1979 (The Devil's Kiss). He wrote close to two hundred books in numerous genres, including suspense, horror, men's adventure, post apocalyptic, and Westerns. His main publication series were Mountain Man, The First Mountain Man, Ashes (with Ben Raines as the protagonist), and Eagles. His own personal favorite novel was The Last of the Dog Team (1980). Johnstone died in 2004 at the age of 65. His death remained officially unconfirmed for two years. J. A. Johnstone, his niece, continues her uncle's series. The decision to continue publishing Johnstone books under his name was met with criticism by Lee Duran, a columnist with The Joplin Globe, who criticized the editing of one book, writing, "giving billing to the dead is sort of like ghostwriting in reverse with sales depending upon the name of someone who really is a ghost".

His 1993 novel Eyes of Eagles received a largely positive review from Publishers Weekly, which read, "Johnstone [ ], on rare occasion, molds history to fit his tale. However, neither these liberties, nor the one dimensional characters dampen this rousing, two fisted saga of the growing American frontier". Talons of Eagles, his first hardcover, was reviewed by Publishers Weekly: "Despite some interesting period lore, the narrative is padded with lengthy historical discussions and further weakened by lackluster prose". Kirkus Reviews wrote that What the Heart Knows was "a sentimental wannabe Bridges of Madison County, strictly for the romance crowd". Library Journal gave a starred review to A Lone Star Christmas, writing that it was "[a] well paced saga with cattle rustling, bar fights, painful secrets, unrequited love, and a baby born on Christmas day". Butch Cassidy: The Lost Years received a positive review from Publishers Weekly, which wrote, "Johnstone is a masterful storyteller, creating a tale that is fanciful and funny, exciting and surprisingly convincing". A Frontier Christmas received a negative review from Library Journal, which wrote that, though "The Johnstones consistently write great Westerns", there is "the relentless barrage of terrible events in the story line" and to "read this one for the action, not the Christmas cheer". A Library Journal review of A Texas Hill Country Christmas read that the novel was a "rollicking Western" that is "full of gunfights, outlaws, and an unforgettable holiday".

The Last Mountain Man. Zebra/Kensignton, 1984. War of the Mountain Man (The Last Mountain Man Series). Zebra, 1990. The First Mountain Man. Pinnacle, 1991. Eyes of Eagles (The Eagles Series). Zebra, 1993. What the Heart Knows: A Love Story. Kensington, 1995. Lone Star Christmas (The Christmas Series). Pinnacle, 2011. Cruel Winter of the Mountain Man (The First Mountain Man Series). Kensington, 2022.

Savage Country (The Last Gunfighter Series). Pinnacle, 2006. Preacher's Fortune (The First Mountain Man Series). Pinnacle, 2013.