author
Arthur Compton-Rickett
1869–1937
A lawyer by profession and a literary historian by reputation, he wrote clear, approachable books that helped generations of readers find their way into English literature. His work sits at the meeting point of scholarship and popular reading.
1 Audiobook
The Vagabond in Literature
by Arthur Compton-Rickett
About the author
Born in London in 1869, Arthur Compton-Rickett was an English lawyer, author, editor, and literary historian. Reliable reference sources agree that he was born Arthur Rickett and later used the surname Compton-Rickett; they also note that he was the son of Sir Joseph Compton-Rickett.
He is best remembered for writing lively, accessible works on major writers and periods of English literature. His best-known books include A History of English Literature, along with studies of figures such as Charles Dickens and John Keats. That mix of broad survey and author-focused criticism made his work especially useful for general readers and students.
Compton-Rickett died in 1937. Even now, his books remain of interest as readable examples of early 20th-century literary history: informed, enthusiastic, and clearly written for people who loved books as much as scholarship.