Frank Bonham was born on February 25, 1914 in Los Angeles. He was a graduate of UCLA. Bonham was known for his works for young adults written in the 1960s, with tough, realistic urban settings such as The Nitty Gritty and Durango Street. He also wrote several westerns. Several of his works have been published posthumously, many of which were drawn from his magazine stories, originally published between 1941 and 1952. Durango Street was an ALA Notable Book. His novels include Dakota Man: Western Stories, Devil's Graze: Western Stories, and The Dark Border: A Western Quartet. Frank Bonham passed away in 1988 at the age of 74.