Frederick James Howard (1904-1984) was a English-born Australian novelist, journalist and war correspondent. His novels included The Emigrant (1928), Return Ticket (1929), Leave us the Glory (1936) and No Music for Generals (1951). From 1931 Howard worked as a journalist with the Melbourne Herald. In 1929 and again in 1935 he travelled widely in North and South America, Russia and Europe. In 1939 Howard enlisted as an official war correspondent and served in the Middle East. He was officer in charge of the Historical Records Section in North Africa in 1941 and was responsible for the early development of the Australian War Memorial’s North Africa collections. After the war Howard returned to working at the Melbourne Herald. He retired in 1970 and in 1972 published a biography of Sir Wilfrid Selwyn Kent Hughes. Howard was married to Margaret de Visme Gipps, a Brisbane-born poet. He died on 20 August 1984 at Heidelberg West, Victoria.