robertleemurphy

On April 29, 2026, I gave a presentation to fellow residents at Masonic Home, Kentucky, on why and how I write frontier historical fiction. I augmented my comments with a Power Point slide show that included photographs of the places I visited while doing research for my books. Attendees posed several interesting questions following my remarks.

It was with extreme pride in the United States that on April 1, 2026, I watched on television the launch of Artemis II headed for the moon. I was present on Johnston Atoll in 1969, fifty-seven years ago, when the Apollo 11 astronauts returned to the Pacific Ocean following their walk on the moon. I wrote about that experience in a blog post on July 29, 2019. Scroll down through the Archives…

My daughters, Beth Murphy and Stacy Tiller, recently presented me with a copy of a forgotten photo taken while I was participating in paratrooper training. It reminds me of that time in my life years ago when I was bold, or foolish, enough to tackle anything. I graduated from airborne school at Fort Benning, Georgia, in October 1961 before deploying for a three-year tour of duty in France. I was…

The October 2025 issue of Roundup Magazine contains a review of my newest frontier historical novel, Bear Flag Revolt. I thank fellow WWA member, Scott McCrea, for writing the great review. I have superimposed a copy of his review on the cover of the magazine. You do not have to be a member of Western Writers of America to subscribe to Roundup Magazine, the official publication of the…

On August 7, 2025, I watched a very disappointing rebroadcast of a docudrama on the History Channel. The Men Who Built America: Frontiersmen originally appeared in 2018, but I had not seen the show before. The program purports to explain how John Frémont and Kit Carson were instrumental in taking California away from Mexico in the 1840s to fulfill the doctrine of Manifest Destiny. The History…

The Kindle edition of Bear Flag Revolt is now available on Amazon. In the recent riots that have occurred in Los Angeles, numerous Mexican flags were waved by some participants. These misguided individuals are insisting California be returned to Mexico. Balderdash! Because of the Mexican government’s inattentive support of the Californios in the 1840s, it was relatively easy for Kit Carson, John…

Chapter 2 of Bear Flag Revolt can now be viewed under the Books tab on this website. This is the second sample chapter. Next week, I will post the final sample chapter. Bear Flag Revolt is available at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. The book was published on March 19, 2025, by Thorndike Press. It is available now. Click on the following links to order: Bear Flag Revolt: Murphy, Robert Lee:…

Chapter 1 of Bear Flag Revolt can now be viewed under the Books tab on this website. This is the first sample chapter. Over the next couple of weeks, I will post the next two chapters. Bear Flag Revolt is available at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Ignore the publication date of April 9, 2025. The book was published early by Thorndike Press. It is available now. Click on the following links to…

My fifth frontier historical novel, Bear Flag Revolt, has been acquired by Thorndike Press. A large print hardcover and/or softcover edition will be released in April 2025. This adventure story tells how Kit Carson and John Frémont stole California from Mexico. This first Bear Flag was destroyed during the great San Francisco earthquake in 1906. American settlers rebelled in 1845 when Mexican…

On Saturday, September 21, 2024, Robert Lee Murphy signed his books at the Fall Arts & Crafts Fair held in the Sun City Anthem Recreation Center in Henderson, Nevada. This was the first book signing event at which Robert could tell interested readers (and listeners) that The Iron Horse Chronicles is now available as audio books on Amazon’s Audible.com

Bear Claws: The Iron Horse Chronicles–Book Two is now available as an Audiobook on Amazon.com. The audiobook is narrated by Brian James Stenberg. You can download the audiobook at: Amazon.com: Bear Claws: The Iron Horse Chronicles, Book Two (Audible Audio Edition): Robert Lee Murphy, Brian James Stenberg, Robert L. Murphy: Books  

Eagle Talons: The Iron Horse Chronicles–Book One is now available as an Audiobook on Amazon.com. The audiobook was narrated by Brian James Sternberg. You can download the audiobook at:  https://a.co/d/9AxeaO6    

Barbara and I traded the Mercedes for a 2023 Lexus ES 350 Luxury. The Mercedes SUV was too “tall” for Barbara. With her neuropathy disability, she had trouble getting in and out of an SUV. In addition to the Mercedes we tried a Hyundai SUV and a Honda SUV. Same problem. We were afraid she would lose her balance and fall getting out of the vehicle. She would instinctively reach down to brace…