A. B. Guthrie Jr. (Alfred Bertram Guthrie Jr., 1901–1991) was an American novelist and historian best known for his vivid portrayals of the American West. He was born in Bedford and grew up in Montana, whose landscapes and frontier history would become central to his writing.

Guthrie worked as a journalist and editor before turning to fiction. He gained national recognition with The Big Sky (1947), a novel that captures the lives of mountain men and the early exploration of the western frontier. Its sequel, The Way West (1949), won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and tells the story of pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail, exploring themes of ambition, hardship, and survival.

In addition to novels, Guthrie wrote screenplays, including Shane (1953) and The Kentuckian (1955). His work is noted for its realism, historical depth, and nuanced depiction of frontier life, making him one of the most respected writers of Western fiction.