author
C. Stansfeld Hicks
Best known for lively practical books for young readers and boating enthusiasts, this late 19th-century writer mixed instruction with a sense of fun and adventure. His work helped turn hobbies like indoor games, yachting, and canoeing into accessible pastimes for a broad audience.
1 Audiobook
The Boy's Own Book of Indoor Games and Recreations A Popular Encyclopædia for Boys
by C. Stansfeld Hicks, John Nevil Maskelyne, Gordon Stables
About the author
Writing as C. Stansfeld-Hicks, Charles Stansfield Hicks was a British-Irish author active in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Surviving catalog and bibliographic records connect him most clearly with Yachts, Boats and Canoes (published in 1887) and with The Boy's Own Book of Indoor Games and Recreations, a popular collection created with other contributors.
His books suggest a talent for clear, practical explanation. Whether he was describing boating and model yachts or presenting games and recreations for boys, his focus seems to have been on usable advice, hands-on enjoyment, and making specialist hobbies feel approachable.
Very little biographical detail is easy to confirm from widely available sources beyond his identity as Charles Stansfield Hicks and his death in 1931. Even so, the works linked to his name give a good sense of his appeal: energetic, instructive writing aimed at readers who wanted to build, play, explore, and learn by doing.