Felix Riesenberg

Born in Milwaukee on April 9, 1879, he trained at the New York Nautical School and began his career as a deck officer in the United States Merchant Marine. He also served in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey and in the United States Naval Reserve, building the firsthand experience that later shaped his writing.

His life included more than routine sea duty. In 1906 and 1907 he took part in Walter Wellman’s unsuccessful attempts to reach the North Pole by airship, serving as navigator on one of the expeditions. He later studied engineering at Columbia and also worked in public service, including roles with the United States Shipping Board and the New York Nautical School, where he served as superintendent.

He became a prolific writer of maritime fiction, history, memoir, and professional instruction. Among his best-known works is Standard Seamanship for the Merchant Service, a practical text that became widely used, and he also published memoir and fiction drawn from the world he knew so well. He died in Scarsdale, New York, on November 19, 1939.