On October 20, 1924, Ed Larson made his raucous entrance into a world of soft gentility (characterized by white wicker bassinets, hand-hemmed diapers, and the Thompson submachine gun--the latter employed as the weapon of choice by the gangsters of the era). While attending schools in Seattle, Washington, he developed a manic devotion to all things flying; and following high school graduation at age 17, he enlisted in the US Army Air Forces, completing his basic and CTD training in Lincoln and Des Moines, Preflight Training at Santa Ana, Eighth Army Air Forces Flight Training at Visalia (Sequoia Field), and Twin-Engine Advanced School at Stockton Field. He was a member of Squadron 44-D.

In October 1944, Ed transitioned to a B-24 training program at Kirtland Army Air Field. On Christmas Eve 1944, he was ordered to the China-Burma-India Theater of War to transport much-needed bombs, ammunition, and barreled aviation fuel to fighter groups operating against the Japanese. While serving overseas, he flew C-109 and C-87 aircraft before falling in love with the purr of the C-46's twin R-2800s.

Following the conclusion of World War II, Ed worked for several years on cannery boats transporting salmon from Alaskan fishing banks to the canneries. His first book, "Spring Tides: Memories of Alaskan Towboats," is based on those experiences.

In 1954, Ed returned to college in California where he obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees; he then pursued a teaching career that spanned thirty years.

Ed Larson currently lives in Santa Cruz, California, where he enjoys his family and friends. He still loves sailing and serves as a volunteer docent for the Santa Cruz Harbor. In addition to his writing, he remains an active artist whose work is widely collected.