F.A.S. M.A. Robert E. (Robert Edward) Anderson

Robert E. Anderson, sometimes listed as Robert Edward Anderson, was a historian and nonfiction writer active in the late 19th century. Title pages for his books identify him as M.A., F.A.S., and show that he wrote works including The Story of Extinct Civilizations of the East and Early England.

His Story of Extinct Civilizations of the East, published by D. Appleton and Company in 1896, reflects the popular history style of its time: broad in scope, eager to bring recent archaeological discoveries to ordinary readers, and focused on ancient cultures such as Egypt, Babylonia, and Persia. He wrote in a clear, explanatory way meant for people who wanted an accessible survey rather than a specialist study.

Reliable biographical details about his personal life are hard to confirm from the sources found here, so it is safest to remember him chiefly through his books. What does come through clearly is his role as one of the many Victorian-era writers who helped turn history and archaeology into reading for the wider public.