C. B. Colby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
C. B. Colby
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Portrait c. 1970
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| Born | Carroll Burleigh Colby September 7, 1904 Claremont, New Hampshire, US |
| Died | October 31, 1977 (aged 73) Westchester County, New York |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | American |
| Genre | Nonfiction mainly: military history, children's books, paranormal |
Carroll Burleigh Colby (born September 7, 1904 – died October 31, 1977) was an American writer. He mostly wrote non-fiction books for children. He wrote over 100 books. Many of his books were found in public and school libraries across the United States. He is best known for his book Strangely Enough! which came out in 1959.
About C. B. Colby
His Early Life
Colby was born in Claremont, New Hampshire. He finished high school in 1922. Then, he went to art school in Boston. He graduated from art school in 1925.
After school, he sailed to Puerto Rico. He hoped to work there as an artist. But it didn't work out as he planned. So, he joined the United States Customs Service. This was during the Prohibition Era. That was a time when making and selling alcohol was against the law. He married Lila Thoday in November 1928. They had two children, Fred and Susan M. Colby.
His Writing Career
Colby sold his very first story in 1929. It was a fiction story.
In 1931, he learned to fly glider aircraft. This led him to write and draw for different aviation magazines. He became an editor for Air Trails and Air Progress magazines. He also helped write the Junior Birdmen Standard Aviation Dictionary. In 1943, he became the aviation editor for Popular Science magazine. He also worked as a war correspondent. This meant he reported from war zones for the U.S. Army Air Forces. He traveled to Newfoundland, Labrador, and Alaska.
In 1946, he left the magazine. He decided to write articles on his own. Colby also joined the Civil Air Patrol as an officer. This is a civilian group that helps the Air Force.
Colby's first book was Gabbit, the Magic Rabbit. It came out in 1951. He wrote and drew the pictures for this book. It was about a magician's rabbit. He started writing non-fiction books with Our Fighting Jets in 1951. He often wrote about outdoor activities. These included hunting, fishing, camping, and firearms. Many of his books were about military groups. They also covered public safety organizations or new technology. He made sure these books were easy for children to understand.
In 1959, Colby wrote his most famous book, Strangely Enough!. This book was a collection of true stories. It included adventures, paranormal mysteries, UFOs, and other unusual events.
Some of His Books
Here are some of the books C. B. Colby wrote:
- Gabbit, the Magic Rabbit (1951)
- Art and Science of Taking to the Woods
- Firing Line! Weapons, Vehicles, Rockets, and Research (1957)
- Bomber Parade: Headliners in Bomber Plane History (1960)
- Historic American Forts: From Frontier Stockade to Coastal Fortress (1963)
- Chute!: Air Drop for Defense and Sport
- Submarine Warfare: Men, Weapons, and Ships (1967)
- FBI: The G-Mens' Weapons and Tactics For Combat
- Six-shooter: Pistols, Revolvers, And Automatics, Past And Present
- Strangely Enough!
- Jets of the World: New Fighters, Bombers and Transports
- Fighter Parade: Headliners in Fighter Plane History
- First Rifle: How to Shoot It Straight and Use It Safe
- Musket to M-14 Pistols, Rifles and Machine Guns
- Leatherneck: The Training, Weapons and Equipment of the United States Marine Corps
- Fighting Gear of World War II Equipment and Weapons of the American G.I.
- The Weirdest People in the World
- World's Best True Ghost Stories
- World's Best Lost Treasure Stories
- Arms of our Fighting Men: Personal Weapons, Bazookas, Big Guns (revised edition: 1972)
- Two Centuries of Weapons, 1776-1976 (1975)
- Two Centuries of Seapower, 1776-1976 (1976)
