Duffield, J. W.

J. W. Duffield is an early English-language author of juvenile fiction about whom little public information is available; details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and professional career remain unrecorded. Judging from the nine works held in the collection, he wrote mainly about youthful adventure and school sports. Representative titles include Bert Wilson at the Wheel, Bert Wilson on the Gridiron, and The Radio Boys Under the Sea or, The Hunt for Sunken Treasure. These books mostly appeared as series, following the hero Bert Wilson through motor racing, football, marathons, baseball, and adventures in Panama, combining land-based competition with treasure-hunting at sea. Aimed at young readers, the stories are brisk and accessible, emphasizing courage, teamwork, and exploration—typical of early twentieth-century American boys' series fiction.