B. Granville (Bernard Granville) Baker

Born in Pune, India, in 1870, B. Granville Baker—Bernard Granville Baker—built an unusually varied career as a British army officer, painter, and author. He is generally described as a specialist in military subjects, and he also wrote and illustrated a number of his own books.

His work ranged from military and historical writing to travel books with a strong sense of place. Confirmed titles include The Walls of Constantinople, The Passing of the Turkish Empire in Europe, From a Terrace in Prague, and A Winter Holiday in Portugal. That mix helps explain his appeal: he wrote as someone interested not just in events, but in landscapes, cities, and the feeling of being there.

Baker died in 1957. Even now, his books offer a window into a world seen through the eyes of a soldier-artist—observant, visually minded, and drawn to the history behind the places he visited.