Edward S. Aarons was a prominent American novelist, born on September 11, 1916, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his Assignment' series of novels, which he wrote under his real name and also under the pseudonyms Edward Ronns and Paul Ayres. Over the course of his nearly four-decade writing career, Aarons published more than 80 novels and numerous short stories.
Aarons earned a degree in Literature and History from Columbia University and held various jobs to support himself through college. He worked as a newspaper reporter and a fisherman, among other things. In 1933, he won a short story contest as a student, which marked the beginning of his successful writing career. During World War II, Aarons served in the United States Coast Guard, rising to the rank of Chief Petty Officer by the time he finished his duty in 1945.
Aarons' Assignment' series, featuring Sam Durell, a CIA agent, was his most popular work. The first novel in the series, Assignment to Disaster,' was published in 1955, and Aarons continued to write and publish the series until his death in 1975. The series was published in several countries and translated into nearly twenty languages, making Aarons a well-known and respected author around the world.
In addition to the Assignment' series, Aarons wrote numerous short stories for Scarab' and Detective Story Magazine'. Although the Assignment' series was his most popular work, he wrote other short stories and novels over the years. Despite his success in the genre, Aarons remained a humble and hardworking writer, dedicated to his craft and committed to producing high-quality work.