Peace River Country

Ralph Allen (August 25, 1913—December 2, 1966) was a Canadian journalist and novelist. He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The son of a CPR railway agent, he lived in a succession of small towns across the prairies. At sixteen he became a sports writer for the Winnipeg Tribune and later on for the Toronto Globe. In World War Two he enlisted as a gunner for the Royal Canadian Artillery and served until 1943 when he became a war correspondent for the Toronto Globe and Mail. He covered Canadian actions in Sicily, Italy and Normandy. After the war he worked as an editor for Maclean's magazine and later on as managing editor of the Toronto Star. Allen wrote five novels some of which were based on his war experience. His most successful book, Peace River Country, was inspired by his own experience growing up in Western Canada. He also wrote Ordeal by Fire: 1919-1945, a book on early 20th century Canadian history. In 1990 he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame honouring his work as an outstanding sports writer in the prairies. (Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature, Canadian Football Hall of Fame)