Arthur D. Howden (Arthur Douglas Howden) Smith

Arthur Douglas Howden Smith was an American historian, novelist, and journalist, born in New York City on December 29, 1887, and died on December 18, 1945. He wrote both nonfiction history and popular adventure fiction, building a reputation for energetic storytelling grounded in historical detail.

Before and alongside his book career, he worked in newspapers and magazine writing, and his experience as a reporter helped shape the pace and realism of his fiction. He is especially associated with historical adventure tales and with work published in the pulp-magazine world, where his stories of pirates, Vikings, and soldiers found a wide audience.

Readers who come to him now often find a writer who combined old-school swashbuckling with serious interest in the past. That mix gives his work an appealing blend of action and research, making him a memorable figure among early twentieth-century adventure writers.