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Robert Murphy

Member profile details

Membership level

Active Membership

First name

Robert

Last name

Murphy

Website

http://robertleemurphy.net

Bio

Robert Lee Murphy’s award-winning trilogy, The Iron Horse Chronicles, follows a young orphan on an adventuresome quest to determine his own destiny at the time of the building of the first transcontinental railroad in the late-1860s.

Eagle Talons, the first book, was awarded the 2015 Bronze Will Rogers Medallion in the category for younger readers. Bear Claws, the second book in the trilogy, won the 2016 Silver Will Rogers Medallion for younger readers. Bear Claws was awarded First Place in Fiction for 2016 by the Wyoming State Historical Society. Golden Spike, the third book, received the 2018 Silver Will Rogers Medallion for younger readers.

Robert grew up on the staked plains of Hobbs, New Mexico. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 1960, he served in the U. S. Army for seven years, departing active duty with the rank of captain. He then pursued a civilian business career until his retirement in 2003 that involved working with national and international institutions on all seven continents, including Antarctica, where Murphy Peak bears his name in recognition of his contributions in supporting polar science.

Murphy sold his first magazine article, illustrated with his own photographs, to Backpacker Magazine many years ago. Throughout his business career, he published various technical articles in trade journals, such as Military Engineer. In July 2011, The Gettysburg Magazine published his annotated Civil War cavalry article about the "boy generals." Roundup Magazine has published three articles by Robert about the building of the first transcontinental railroad. He was named by the Western Writers of America as a finalist for the 2020 Stirrup Award for one of those articles.

Robert has been an avid outdoors-man, railroad aficionado, and history buff his entire life. In conducting research for The Iron Horse Chronicles, Robert traveled the route of the railroad from Omaha, Nebraska, to Sacramento, California, made repeated visits to the museums and historical sites along the way, and walked the ground where the characters' actions take place.

You are invited to visit http://robertleemurphy.net where you can read sample chapters from The Iron Horse Chronicles. Robert is a member of Western Writers of America, the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, Sun City Anthem Authors, the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, the Historical Novel Society, and the Fort Phil Kearny/Bozeman Trail Association

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