Max Brand was the pseudonym of Frederick Schiller Faust (29 May 1892-12 May 1944) an American writer known primarily for his Western stories. As Max Brand, he also created the popular fictional character of young medical intern, Dr. James Kildare, for a series of pulp fiction stories. His Kildare character was subsequently featured over several decades in other media, including a series of American theatrical movies by Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). As George Challis, Faust wrote the Tizzo the Firebrand series for Argosy magazine. The Tizzo saga was a series of historical swashbuckler stories, featuring the titular warrior, set in Renaissance Italy. But his best known work was as western writer and, alongside Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour, he was among the top selling western writers and had published over a hundred westerns. Faust wanted to get assigned to a company of foot soldiers so he could experience the war and later write a war novel - which actually happened.

Some weeks Faust got an assignment for Harper's Magazine as a war correspondent in Italy. While traveling with American soldiers fighting in Italy, in 1944, Faust was wounded mortally by shrapnel and died on 12 May.