Billy and Blaze Books

The Billy and Blaze books were written and illustrated by C.W. Anderson (Clarence William) known as Andy to his family and friends.

Anderson was born in Nebraska, in 1891. After studying at the Art Institute of Chicago, he began his career as an illustrator for other authors, and eventually began to write his own stories. 

Billy and Blaze, Anderson’s first published work, was written in 1936, a time when the country was struggling through the Great Depression. The simple story of a boy who receives a pony he’d dreamed about seemed to strike a chord with readers.

While Anderson is best known for the Billy and Blaze series, he wrote more than forty books, mostly about horses. The other books are out of print now, but you may be able to find them in libraries or used book sales.

C. W. married Madeline Paltenghi. The couple never had children. He loved riding his horses daily and was an accomplished rider, show judge, and poet. Anderson traded a portfolio of his drawings for three acres of land in New Hampshire, where they built a house and stable—known as "The House That Blaze Built." 

Purchase the Billy and Blaze books.

Books written and illustrated by C.W. Anderson:

• And So to Bed, 1935

• Billy and Blaze, 1936

• Blaze and the Gypsies, 1937

• Blaze and the Forest Fire, 1938

• Black Bay and Chestnut, 1939

• Deep Through the Heart, 1940

• Salute!, 1940

• High Courage, 1941

• Thoroughbreds, 1942

• Big Red, 1943

• Heads Up, Heels Down, 1944

• A Touch of Greatness, 1945

• Tomorrow's Champion, 1946

• Bobcat, 1949

• Post Parade, 1949

• Blaze Finds the Trail, 1950

• Horses Are Folks, 1950

• A pony for Linda, 1951

• Horse Show, Harper, 1951

• Linda and the Indians, 1952

• Turf and Bluegrass, 1952

• The Crooked Colt, 1954

• The Smashers, 1954

• Blaze and Thunderbolt, 1955

• Colts and Champions, 1956

• The Horse of Hurricane Hill, 1956

• Afraid to Ride, 1957

• Pony for Three, 1958

• Blaze and the Mountain Lion, 1959

• A Filly for Joan, 1960

• Lonesome Little Colt, 1961

• Complete Book of Horses, 1963

• Blaze and the Indian Cave, 1964

• The World of Horses, 1965

• Great Heart, 1965

• Twenty Gallant Horses, 1965

• Blaze and the Lost Quarry, 1966

• Another Man o' War, 1966

• C. W. Anderson's Favorite Horse Stories, 1967

• The Outlaw, 1967

• Blaze and the Gray Spotted Pony, 1968

• Blaze Shows the Way, 1969

• Phantom, Son of the Gray Ghost, 1969[2]

• Blaze Finds Forgotten Roads, 1970

• The Rumble Seat Pony, 1971

• The Blind Connemara, 1971