The Old Lady Flies & Other Stories

Raoul Whitfield was born on the 22nd November 1896 in New York City, USA.

He spent much of his youth in the Philippines and Asia, where his father worked as a government official. During World War I, Whitfield served as a combat pilot in the US Army Air Service, an experience that heavily inspired his early aviation stories.

It was during the late 1920s, that he became a prolific contributor of hard-boiled detective fiction to the legendary pulp magazine Black Mask. Writing under his own name and pseudonyms like Ramon Decolta, he stood alongside Dashiell Hammett in shaping modern crime fiction.

His work is celebrated for its fast-paced action, lean prose, and cynical tone. His most famous works include ‘Green Ice’ (1930) and ‘Death in a Bowl’ (1931).

However, despite his immense and genre-defining talent, severe health struggles and alcoholism, led to his early death from tuberculosis.

Raoul Whitfield died on the 24th January 1945 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was 48. Due to his WW1 service he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C.

© 2026 Miniature Masterpieces (E-bog): 9781807541859

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E-bog: 7. juli 2026