author
Bertha Runkle
1879–1958
Known for lively historical fiction and a flair for adventure, this American novelist found early success with The Helmet of Navarre, a bestseller that was later adapted for the stage. She came from a literary family and built a career that crossed both novels and playwriting.
1 Audiobook
The Helmet of Navarre
by Bertha Runkle
About the author
Born in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, Bertha Runkle grew up in a bookish household. Her mother, Lucia Runkle, was a writer and editor, and Bertha went on to become a novelist and playwright herself.
Her best-known book, The Helmet of Navarre (1901), brought her wide attention while she was still very young. Set in sixteenth-century France, it helped establish her reputation for fast-moving historical fiction, and its popularity led to a Broadway adaptation.
Runkle wrote several novels over the years, including The Truth About Tolna, The Scarlet Rider, and Straight Down the Crooked Lane. After her marriage she was also known as Bertha Runkle Bash, and she remained remembered above all for the energy and romance of her early historical storytelling.