Bern Keating

Born in Quebec in 1915 and raised in the United States, he went on to study at the University of Arkansas and later served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war he made Greenville, Mississippi, his home, building a long career as a writer, magazine journalist, and photographer.

His books ranged widely across history and travel, including works on the Mississippi River, Alaska, the Northwest Passage, PT boats, and other adventurous subjects. That mix of solid research and brisk storytelling helped him reach a broad general audience rather than a narrow academic one.

He also worked closely with his wife, photographer Franke Keating, and their travels and images were significant enough to be preserved in the Bern and Franke Keating Collection at the University of Mississippi. He died in 2004, remembered as a remarkably productive author with an eye for place, movement, and historical drama.