Theodore Taylor started his career as a copy boy for the Portsmouth (Virginia) "Star". He served during World War II and the Korean War as a press aide in the U.S. Navy. Taylor also worked in public relations and as a ghost writer for Jerry Lewis. He is best known as a writer of fiction for young people, although he authored a number of books and articles on a myriad of topics, including co-authoring Tippi Hedren's 1985 book on the "Cats of Shambala", an account of her big-game preserve in California.
