Charles Allen was an American writer who published David Crockett: Scout under his full name, Charles Fletcher Allen. His biography follows Crockett from his early frontier experiences through military service, political life, and the defense of the Alamo. Allen sought to present an identifiable historical person behind a name already surrounded by extraordinary stories and popular legend.

In the book's preface, Allen describes a process of extensive reading, research, and the weighing of evidence. He acknowledges assistance from people who supplied information and access to a portrait of Crockett. Writing from Denver, he explains that his purpose was to follow the chronology of Crockett's life while setting aside stories he considered impossible.

The resulting narrative belongs to the tradition of accessible historical biography, using dramatic episodes to sustain the reader's interest. Its admiration for its subject reflects the assumptions and heroic storytelling of its period. Allen's account is therefore valuable both as an introduction to Crockett's adventures and as an example of how an earlier generation of writers interpreted the American frontier.