Gardner Soule
Gardner Soule (December 16, 1913 - October 26, 2000) was an American writer known for his books on cryptozoology and marine life. Biography. Soule contributed articles to "Boys' Life" and "Popular Science". Many of his books were aimed for younger readers. His books on ancient mariners and oceanographic discoveries received positive reviews. However, the factual content of his works on cryptozoology was disputed. Critics described his work on alleged cryptids like the Flathead Lake Monster as entertaining, not scientific. Other reviews were more positive, describing his research on marine creatures such as the giant squid, megamouth shark and sea  wasp as informative. Soule who had spent his early life in Texas authored "The Long Trail" which described the history of cowboys and cattle trails. Historian Ralph Bieber wrote that the book was "disorganized, full errors, and generally unreliable." Orlan Sawey a President of the Texas Folklore Society wrote that a "major defect of the book is its historical inaccuracy."