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After I had already posted my previous article on Gordon Johnson (September, 2022), I came across some additional information. Johnson was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1924 and studied at the Vesper George School of Art in Boston. The school's alumni included such notables as Al Capp (L'il Abner), Bill Everett (comic-book artist and creator of Sub-Mariner), and Robert McCloskey (Make Way for Ducklings), among others. Johnson next enrolled at the Art Students League in New York, where he studied under the legendary instructors Dean Cornwell and Frank Reilly.
His first professional work was a May, 1954 cover for the American Magazine. Johnson was also a faculty member at the Paier Art School in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and his work has been included in the permanent art collections of the Baseball Hall of Fame, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. In 1989 Johnson died suddenly; sadly he was just 65 years old and still very much in demand as a book cover artist and portraitist.
I found these latest tidbits in the 3rd edition of The Illustrator In America (Watson Guptill, 2001), where author and editor Walt Reed described Gordon Johnson as an "all around professional, whose work was characterized by its clarity and directness." While I personally don't like to judge, rank and or rate one illustrator over another, I do tend to favor realism above all other styles of illustration, and Johnson's "clarity and directness" in regards to his chosen style are, for me at least, about as praiseworthy as it gets.
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes was published in paperback by Dell Laurel Leaf in 1969. As of now this is the earliest historically themed paperback cover by Johnson I've found.
'In a story filled with danger and excitement, JOHNNY TREMAIN tells of the turbulent, passionate times in Boston just before the Revolutionary War. Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up in a dramatic involvement with Otis, Hancock, and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting currents and undercurrents that were to lead to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington-- and, finally, a touching resolution of Johnny's personal life. JOHNNY TREMAIN is historical fiction at its best, portraying Revolutionary Boston as a living drama, through the shrewd eyes of an observant boy.'
This Savage Land by Burt Womack was published in paperback by Fawcett Gold Medal in 1977. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'17-year-old Cassie, wild and beautiful, had been brought up in a Baltimore whorehouse. It was not until she traveled west to the frontier that she realized the world was more than men and harlots. Cassie had the skill and cunning of a tiger. When she was captured by Indians, she escaped, and it was then she met the bold and rugged trapper William Horne. It was first love for them both. But there could be no future for either unless they could outrun their Indian tormentors...'
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Defiant Desire by Kaye Wilson Klem was published in paperback by Fawcett Gold Medal in 1977. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'When the Vigilantes in Tacoma murdered Lane Drummond's husband, they did not know they would have to reckon with his beautiful, tempestuous, iron-willed young widow. Lane bought half-interest in the town's leading newspaper because she figured it was a good place to begin digging for the truth. Then she met Cord Stanton, rich, powerful, a man most people feared. Lane knew that somehow Cord was responsible for her husband's murder. That he was secretly the leader of the Vigilantes. But there was no way to prove it. Or was there? Because she also knew Cord was attracted to her. And she could learn a great deal by becoming Stanton's mistress....'
Sweet Piracy by Patricia Maxwell was published in paperback by Fawcett Gold Medal in 1978. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'She was on an ordinary crossing from France to the Delacroix plantation in Louisiana. Suddenly, lovely young Caroline Pembroke found herself aboard a ship plundered by the privateer the Black Eagle, and, for a brief moment, at the mercy of its swashbuckling captain. Arriving safe and unharmed, Caroline attempted to forget the incident, but to no avail. Her unwitting heart bound her to the haunting memory of a man she dared not dream she would meet again... a man whose own silent passion would lead him to heights of grand deception for the depths of this incredible love....'
The Story of Canada Book 1, Kanata by Dennis Adair & Janet Rosenstock was published in paperback by Avon in July, 1981.
'He loved her from the moment they danced at her wedding. But Janet Maclean was another man's bride, and Mathew Macleod was off to fight the English in the tragic cause of Bonnie Prince Charles. When Mathew came home, he found only ruins and death. Janet was gone. Leaving Scotland behind them, thinking never to meet again, Janet and Mathew followed their separate lives--from the intrigues and pleasures of London and Paris to the hardship, peril and hope of the vast new lands across the sea. Both would know other loves, and bitter heartbreak. Both would survive the unforeseen dangers of an untamed wilderness. And together, when Mathew at last found Janet, they would pledge their hearts and future to the glorious dream that was called KANATA.'
The Story of Canada Book 2, Bitter Shield by Dennis Adair & Janet Rosenstock was published in paperback by Avon in February, 1982.
' The Macleods had been driven from Scotland by the cruelty of English soldiers. But across the sea in New France, Janet and Mathew Macleod made a new place for themselves, which they christened Lochiel, in remembrance of their ancestral home. Now, once again, the Macleods faced the destruction of everything they had struggled to build, as invading English armies challenged the French and Indians for possession of a continent. From the siege and fall of Quebec City, the "little Paris" of the New World, to the battle for the Ohio Valley, the Macleods answered the call to arms to safeguard their future from the ravages of war. Their story is a thundering saga of resolute courage against desperate adversity, of loyalty to a land they claimed for their children, and the love of a family united as one against the bitter trials of a new land engulfed by old hatreds and bloody strife.'
The Story of Canada Book 3, Thundergate by Dennis Adair & Janet Rosenstock was published in paperback by Avon in September, 1982.
'Lovely as the Scottish Highlands they once called home, Janet and Mathew Macleod had built Lochiel near the magnificent waterfall the Indians named Niagara... Thundergate. But when the English armies and their American loyalists pushed north into Canada, The Macleods had to abandon Lochiel to the enemy. As the American revolt against the English Crown erupted into Canada, brother turned against brother in the tragic bitterness of hatred and betrayal. And the Macleods, whose family devotion had never been so sorely tested, faced the loss of their youngest daughter to a scoundrel who led her to near ruin... and the disgrace and suffering of Janet Macleod's brother in New Orleans. Yet the war also brought back the long-lost son of Mathew Macleod's first marriage, joined to the family in a joyous marriage. And when at long last the terrible devastation of war had ended, the Macleods once again returned to Lochiel, triumphantly reunited as a family.'
The Story of Canada Book 4, Wildfires by Dennis Adair & Janet Rosenstock was published in paperback by Avon in April, 1983.
'The quarrel between Britain and the American states seemed a distant matter until the War of 1812 erupted, and their Canadian homeland became a battleground for ravaging armies. Even as the city of Washington was put to the torch by the British, they watched their beloved family estate of Lochiel burned to the ground by the Americans. Stalwart young Josh Maclean, third generation of his proud Scots family in Canada, enlisted as a spy against the American forces. His most dangerous adversary, however, proved to be the American father he'd never known, a craven scoundrel who returned for revenge against Josh's mother. Yet Josh Maclean was determined to reach Washington, for duty to country, and fro the woman who was mother to his sons. Like Josh, his brother Ian was a man with a dream. But Ian was a frontiersman at heart, and the lure of adventure called to him from the faraway shores of the Pacific. There, with the fair lass whose love was greater than the hatred between their Scottish clans, Ian Maclean would push westward the destiny that was Canada's magnificent future.'
For whatever reason, Gordon Johnson was not able to complete the cover art on this, the fifth and concluding volume in Adair and Rosenstock's The Story of Canada series. Charles Tang, an up and coming illustrator, was tapped instead. His cover art complies with Johnson's already established composition, but Tang's delineation is perhaps a bit more pronounced than Johnson's. The Story of Canada Book 5, Victoria was published in paperback by Avon in November, 1983.
'In the century since their forebears left Scotland, love and war and a spirit of adventure has taken the sons and daughters of the Macleod-Maclean clan the length and breadth of the new land. With the pioneer spirit of her ancestors, young Margot Macleod goes West with a dream of helping the Indians. Faced with the challenge of survival in the vast wilderness, she gathers strength from the roots of her heritage, and from the love of the handsome Frenchman who guides her West. Cory Maclean braves the western wilderness to trade in gold and furs, but it's the lure of the enchantingly beautiful Anya that brings him back to Victoria. As The Story of Canada sweeps across the land to reach its passionate conclusion, a new generation of Macleods and Macleans put down their own roots on the western shores of the great land their ancestors called Kanata.'
Captive of the Heart by Kate Douglas was published in paperback by Avon in 1982. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'Nalin hardly remembered her life as Lisa Thomson. Taken by outlaws, she escaped into the burning desert to be rescued by a Comanche chieftain. Nalin now belonged to the Comanches, just as her heart belonged to their fiercely courageous leader. To the warrior Quanah, Nalin seemed at first only a girl... yet he knew his heart was being captured by her beauty and bravery. He vowed to honor her as his wife and to protect her from harm. But her own people wanted Lisa back. They could not forgive her love for a Comanche. To save her happiness and the husband who was more to her than her own life, Nalin knew she must stand beside him through any danger, any hardship, any test of the love that bound them together, forever as one.'
Turn of the Century by Jill Downie was published in paperback by Avon in 1982. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'Peridot was the daughter of Lord and Lady Sinclair, Violet, the child of the gardener on their country estate. But when they met as children, it was the beginning of a friendship that would last for life. As Violet grew into a ravishing beauty and discovered how easily she could turn a man's head, she knew she had found a way to move into the privileged milieu of the haute monde. Accepting the role of courtesan as her entree, she quickly became the delight of London and the toast of Paris, while Peridot, born to the life Violet coveted, wanted more from the dawning century than a Victorian lady could ever have dreamed of. Abandoning her life of leisure and luxury for a Bohemian freedom that scandalized her family, Peridot joined with the suffragettes in their struggle against repression. But even as Violet and Peridot moved into their radically different worlds, they continued to share their joys and sorrows... and the love of the one man who changed both their lives.'
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An Important Family by Dorothy Eden was published in paperback by Avon in May, 1983. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'In the beautiful wilderness of Victorian New Zealand, Kate O'Connor hoped to forget the bitter past and the memories of love denied. But in the grand house of the dashing Lord Devenish and his spoiled family, she was drawn into a circle of betrayal and treachery... of smoldering passions and forbidden love... and a shocking truth she could not escape.'
Scent of Cloves by Norah Lofts was published in paperback by Fawcett Crest in 1983. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'She traveled halfway around the world to marry a man she had never seen... SCENT OF CLOVES sweeps beautiful Julia Ashley from the Netherlands in the turbulent seventeenth century to fantastic adventure, intrigue, and romance in the Dutch East Indies, where island riches were legendary and "nutmeg princes" ruled over barbaric plantations.'
When Love Remains by Victoria Pade was published in paperback by Avon in 1983. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'When the loss of her family's fortune made it necessary for beautiful violet-eyed Hallie Wyatt to marry a stranger, she still clung to the dream that someday she would be wed to Adam Burgess, the man she had always loved. But when her new husband, Michael Redmond, returned from the Mexican Wars, it was to claim his legacy of wealth and position... and the lovely young wife he had no intention of sharing with another man. While Hallie yearned for Adam, she was shocked by her passionate response to Michael. Even as she resolved to deny him, he awakened senses she never knew existed, lifted her to peaks of pleasure... and left her overwhelmed with guilt as her thoughts returned to Adam. And as Hallie struggled with her heart, passions flared and jealousy raged... and two men waited for the decision of the woman they both loved.'
A Gallant Passion by Helene Lehr was published in paperback by Avon in 1984. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'As they declared their love for each other, Sarah and Christian were about to be separated. Christian was tricked into marrying another woman and broken-hearted Sarah accepted a man who gave her wealth and social position in the nineteenth century mill-town where she had known only poverty. But the memory of their love would not die. Christian's success was overshadowed by his aching desire for Sarah, and she was torn between her yearning for him and the secret she dared not reveal. Until finally the smoldering passions of guilt and jealous exploded in a fiery confrontation with the destiny of their love.'
Capture the Dream by Helene Lehr was published in paperback by Avon in 1984. Cover art by Gordon Johnson. The original painting is an oil on canvas (15 x 23).
(Note: back cover blurb description not available).
The Cave Dreamers by Jeanne Williams was published in paperback by Avon in 1984. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'She was the last to inherit the secret. It had been passed through generations from mother to daughter since the dawn of woman's desire. Now it would lead Eden Lowrie across the world to the fulfillment of her hearts destiny... The old woman who long ago brought the secret to America took Eden as the daughter she had lost. A daughter to bequeath her land, and the secret. A beautiful young woman her grandsons fought to possess. One pursued Eden with a passion that threatened to become violent hatred. The other denied his passion. Until the secret called Eden to the ancient cave where women through the ages had come with their longings and dreams... and where Eden would die unless the man she loved loved her as well.'
The Lurid Lady Lockport by Kasey Michaels was published in paperback by Avon in 1984. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'What a devilish trick his uncle had played! Kevin Rawlings had inherited the title of Earl and a country estate to go with it. But there would be no money, according to the will, until Kevin married his uncle's illegitimate daughter Gilly--a kitchen maid on the estate! The new Earl quickly learned that Gilly was not the empty-headed waif he had imagined, but a spirited young beauty who would lead him a wild and merry chase. And, he was astonished to discover, his bold and passionate bride held the key not only to the family treasure, but to his heart as well.'
Heart Songs by Laurel Winslow was published in paperback by Avon in 1984. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'He had asked to paint her portrait, and there was no way she could resist. Joseph Highrock was a world famous artist whose work Sara greatly admired... a man whose dynamic presence made her tremble. As his model, she met his penetrating black eyes with impassive silence. As a woman, her heart beat wildly. But in the wilderness of the vast southwestern desert, surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the artist's world, Sara discovered the man. In the shadowed canyons far from the cares of the city, Sara heard only the thundering passion of desire long denied. There was no sense of strangeness in the touch of the man who held her... no hesitancy as her eyes answered his with a message that closed the last distance between them. all that mattered was that their spirits flowed smoothly... as one.'
Passion's Torment by Victoria Pade was published in paperback by Avon in 1985. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'Only desperate fear could have made young Alisa resort to trickery to force the handsome and wealthy American sea captain, Christian Reed, to marry her. Safely away from England, she vowed to give him all her love... yet she dared not relinquish her guilty secrets. But Christian's past experience with marriage had left him bitterly disillusioned and fiercely determined to never again allow a woman to make him vulnerable. When the first sight of his young wife drove him wild with desire, he cursed his own weakness and left Alisa crushed with cold rejection. At home in his magnificent Connecticut mansion, Christian tried to resist the burning temptation of his bride's innocent seduction. Yet despite jealousy, treachery... and the past that relentlessly haunted them, nothing could quell their raging desire or still the flame of love that consumed them both.'
Heart of the Storm by Jillian Hunter was published in paperback by Avon in 1985. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'Juliana Pendarvis was outraged. Without consulting her, her father had arranged for her to marry Adam Tremayne, the rough-hewn "colonial" who had come to Cornwall from America. Headstrong and defiant, Juliana insisted she'd marry the viscount who courted her, despite her father's objections. Now Sir Walter Pendarvis lay gravely ill, his fondest wish the marriage between his daughter and Adam, the son of his old friend. For the sake of her father's health, Juliana agreed to the betrothal, with no intention of allowing a marriage to take place. But when the handsome, bronze-skinned Adam boldly claimed her, her protests were silenced by searing kisses and shameless caresses that made her heart beat wildly. Trembling with desires she didn't understand, her body urged him closer. and in the sweet ecstasy of passion's surrender, they found the love that would be theirs forever.'
On the Winds of Love by Lori Leigh was published in paperback by Avon in 1986. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'He was the most magnificent man she'd ever seen--tall, dark, powerful, his muscular physique honed to perfection. And he was to become her husband! While her betrothal to Baron Jean Jolbert had been arranged to bring peace to the provinces of Louis XVI's France, to Lady Lisette de Meret it was every fantasy come true. But it was an outraged baron that returned after two years on the high seas to find his beautiful fiancee promised to another. He would seize what was his... and make her his mistress! Kidnapped by the man she had dreamed of marrying, Lisette swears to deny him. Yet alone in his chateau, she discovers his very touch makes her weak with longing, powerless to resist the intoxicating pleasure of his caress. And in a swirling fervor of unquenched desire, rage surrenders to unleashed passion, and they are bound forever by the overwhelming power of their love.'
The Three Passions of Countess Natalya by Alan Fisher was published in paperback by Avon in 1986. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'St. Petersburg... a glittering whirl of palace balls and Faberge jewels, decadent pleasures and limitless wealth. This was the heritage of beautiful, young Countess Natalya... yet already her world was threatened by forces beyond her control. Before her exploded the most tumultuous days of this century-- tormenting her with an obsession that possessed her heart as powerfully as the hungers of three irresistible men. One of these men would become the betrayer of her innocence; another, the rebel ordered to kill her; the last, the lover of her dreams... who would lead them both to a magnificent destiny of adventure and desire.'
Alyssa by Linda Lang Bartell was published in paperback by Avon in 1987. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'She is a prize of war, fair game for any soldier of the conquering armies. Yet the golden-haired knight who sweeps Alyssa MacLaren onto his ebony stallion with a tender kiss has rescued her from a far worse fate, and his very touch leaves her trembling--helpless in his hungry embrace. Alyssa's heart is bound by this magnificent Norman god as surely as if she were in chains. While her spirit yearns for freedom and her beloved Scotland home, her heart beats wildly with desire she cannot resist. And as danger and treachery close in to destroy their very lives, it is her conquering hero she clings to. Only in his arms is she safe... from all but the thundering passion of a love that will not be denied.'
Windsong by Judith E. French was published in paperback by Avon in 1988. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'It had been a daring and dangerous deception, but Linna O'Neill had made it to America, fleeing Ireland with the legendary Irish rebel Rory Desmond, now an American colonial. Rory believed he was marrying a young heiress--not her illegitimate sister--and he never dreamed his marriage of convenience would be fired by a flame-haired beauty whose blazing green eyes would unlock every barrier to his heart. Linna had fallen desperately in love with the irresistibly handsome Rory, but she was haunted by the lie--knowing that at any moment the seeet passion that bound them could explode in the horror of discover and shattered love...'
Passion Song by Catherine FitzGerald was published in paperback by Avon in 1989. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'As everything she held ear went up in flames, Lucy Jones fled London to save her very life--and landed in the arms of a handsome stranger who assumed she was the new governess! In an instant she had accepted the false identity... Little could Lucy have imagined that her new employer, Bram Carlyle, would cause her more trouble than his mischievous children. His gaze seemed to penetrate all her lies, even as his kisses drove her wild with a hunger for more. But passion could not banish her deepening suspicions... or explain his mysterious absences. Desire burned long into the night, but could she ever trust enough for love?'
The Indian Heritage Series Book 1, Manitou's Daughters by Paul Joseph Lederer was published in paperback by Signet in 1983. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'Crenna, the strongest and wisest, lost her position and power when she gave herself to the White man so different from any other man she had known... Kala, beautiful and wanton, found her perfect match in an English officer as ruthless and rapacious as she... Sachim, young and innocent, was ill-prepared for the tide of violence and terror that threatened to ravish the virgin land... MANITOU'S DAUGHTERS is the first of a magnificent series of novels that brings to life the world of the Indian in all its splendor and romance--and vividly recreate the time when American Indians were fighting to defend themselves against the White man's greed and treachery.'
The Indian Heritage Series Book 2, Shawnee Dawn by Paul Joseph Lederer was published in paperback by Signet in 1983. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'William and Cara Van der Veghe were raised by their White father and Indian mother deep in the Ohio wilderness, far from the cruel conflicts in the East. But when the tide of White settlement crept ever closer, William and Cara each had to choose sides on the frontier. William sided with the Whites, taking a wife from among them, bringing his forest skills to them. Cara took a different path, at the side of Ousa, the brilliant, daring Shawnee warrior chief fighting to save his people. Brother and sister, bound together by blood, and now facing each other over the flames of violence and vengeance... SHAWNEE DAWN continues the magnificent series of novels that brings to life the world of the Indian in all its excitement and romance.'
The Indian Heritage Series Book 3, Seminole Skies by Paul Joseph Lederer was published in paperback by Signet in 1983. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'Shanna and her young sister Lychma were fleeing the invading White men when they fell into even more feared hands--those of the ruthless Seminoles. To be captured by the Seminoles meant to become a slave, to break or die, or suffer and live only to serve the Seminole pleasure. But Shanna had the blood of princesses in her veins. She would not surrender... not to defeat or to despair... not to the chief who hungered for her beauty, or to his wife who lusted for her death. Then Shanna met the legendary warrior Yui, the one man strong enough to save his people from white conquest--and to turn a woman's burning hate into flaming love... SEMINOLE SKIES continues the magnificent series of novels that brings to life the world of the Indian in all its excitement and romance.'
The Indian Heritage Series Book 4, Cheyenne Dreams by Paul Joseph Lederer was published in paperback by Signet in 1985. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'Her name was Amaya, the Sky Maiden, but there seemed nowhere under the heavens that she could call home. Found and adopted by the savage Comanches, she was saved from marriage to a brutal war chief only when avenging Whites destroyed her entire tribe. Held by missionaries, she fought White ways and the attentions of an all-too-attractive young army officer. Finally she escaped to take refuge with the greatest tribe of the Plains, the Cheyenne, and there found love at last with the magnificent warrior Indigo. And she joined with him and the people she could finally call her own in the most gallant struggle an Indian nation ever waged to save all they had and all they were... CHEYENNE DREAMS continues the stirring series of novels that brings to life the world of the Indian in all its excitement and romance.'
The Indian Heritage Series Book 5, The Way of the Wind by Paul Joseph Lederer was published in paperback by Signet in 1986. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'She was born a Cheyenne, but was given by her mother to the Whites, so that she might survive, and in turn help her people survive. She took the name Miss Mary Hart and came to the untamed Arizona territory to teach the children of the defiant Apache the ways of the Whites before it was too late. But in the arms of a great warrior chief--in the vast reaches of his kingdom of mountain and desert where he mocked the might of the White soldiery and strength--Mary discovered that nothing was real but the call of her blood and the pride in her heart. And Mary Hart became Akton, the name of her birth, living without fear and loving without limit as she was born to do.... THE WAY OF THE WIND continues the stirring series of novels that brings to life the world of the Indian in all its excitement and romance.'
The Indian Heritage Series Book 6, North Star by Paul Joseph Lederer was published in paperback by Signet in 1986. Cover art by Gordon Johnson.
'Hevatha was an outsider, born a Cheyenne but raised by the proud and fierce Alaskan Tlingit Indians. As beautiful and brave as she was, she would never be one of them--no more than Richard English, the White man stranded among them. Hevatha had to save Richard from his hostile hosts and she had to save herself from the brutish son of the Tlingit chief. And in a land where rapacious gold seekers threatened the Indians, she had only her wisdom and strength to pit against the greed and injustice of the White world and the darkening dangers of the Indian world. But most of all, Hevatha had to find a way to tear down the barriers both worlds put between her and the man she loved... NORTH STAR continues the epic series of novels that brings to life the world of the American Indian in all its excitement and romance.
[© May, 2024, Jeffersen]
