Bill Thomas is an American author and photojournalist, the son of William Roy Thomas and Margaret Elizabeth (Crabtree) Thomas born on the family farm near Glendale

Glendale, Kentucky

Glendale is an unincorporated community in Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. It is included in the Elizabethtown, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area.Glendale is host to the annual Glendale Crossing Festival on the third Saturday of October...

, Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

.

Biography

Thomas reported for the Park City Daily News

Park City Daily News

Park City Daily News is a daily newspaper published in Bowling Green, Kentucky.The current newspaper can trace its roots to the Bowling Green Democrat founded in 1854. A rival paper, The Daily Times, was founded by John B. Gaines in 1882 and the newspapers eventually merged into the predecessor to...

, during the WKU years. Upon graduation, he accepted a commission in the US Army, serving 1957-59 at Ft. Holobird, Maryland. After separation, Thomas was employed by United Press International

United Press International

United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...

 in Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

, until going to work for the Cincinnati Enquirer in 1962. He was promoted to Travel Editor at the Enquirer.

Thomas left the Enquirer in 1966, to freelance for a number of newspapers and magazines. His work focused in the areas of outdoors, travel, and human interest, and was published in Field & Stream

Field & Stream

Field & Stream is a magazine featuring hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities in the United States. Together with Sports Afield and Outdoor Life, it is considered one of the Big Three of American outdoor publishing....

, Woodall's Trailer Travel, Outdoor Life

Outdoor Life

Outdoor Life is an outdoors magazine about hunting, fishing, survival and camping. It is a sister magazine of Field & Stream. Together with Sports Afield, they are considered the Big Three of American outdoor publishing. Outdoor Life launched in Denver, Colorado in January 1898. Founder and...

, The Saturday Evening Post

The Saturday Evening Post

The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...

, and many other periodicals. In 1976, Thomas received the National Geographic Award for Photography. Thomas published his first book in 1974.

Books

• Tripping in America: Off the Beaten Track (1974)
• Eastern Trips & Trails (1975)
• Mid-America Trips and Trails (1975)
• The Swamp (1976)
• The Complete World of Kites (1977)
• Lakeside Recreation Areas (1977)
• American Rivers: A Natural History (1978)
• The Island (1981)
• The Brown County Book (1981)
• Talking with the Animals: How to Communicate with Wildlife (1985)
• How You Can Make $50,000 a Year as a Nature Photojournalist (1986)
• Natural Chicago, with Phyllis Thomas (1986)
• Natural New York, with Phyllis Thomas (1988)
• Indiana Off the Beaten Path (1989)
• Natural Los Angeles, with Phyllis Thomas (1989)
• Natural Washington (1991)
• Wild Woodlands: The Old-Growth Forests of America (1992)
• Travel America's Past and Future: The Travel Guide to Americas Living Restorations and Futuristic Attractions (1993)
• The River Purple (2002)