Albert E. Cowdrey (born 8 December 8, 1933 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American author who writes nonfictional historical studies and fantasy and science fiction literature. He was educated in Tulane and Johns Hopkins universities and worked for twenty-five years as a military historian, mostly in and around Washington, D.C. As a Chief of the Special History Branch in the U.S. Army, he wrote a number of books about the history of the medical branches of the army. He has published the science fiction novel Crux and more than fifty short stories. Much of his short fiction has appeared in Fantasy and Science Fiction and centers on his love for New Orleans, where he was born and raised. He is the only writer to receive awards from both, the American Historical Association and the World Fa