Frank B. (Frank Boott) Goodrich

author

Frank B. (Frank Boott) Goodrich

1826–1894

A 19th-century American man of letters, he wrote lively popular histories and cultural studies that brought grand subjects like Napoleon’s court, the sea, and the Civil War within reach of general readers. His career also crossed journalism and the stage, giving his nonfiction an energetic, storytelling feel.

1 Audiobook

Ocean's Story; or, Triumphs of Thirty Centuries Maritime Adventures, Achievements, Explorations, Discoveries and Inventions; and of the Rise and Progress of Ship-Building and Ocean Navigation, from the Ark to the Iron Steamships

Ocean's Story; or, Triumphs of Thirty Centuries Maritime Adventures, Achievements, Explorations, Discoveries and Inventions; and of the Rise and Progress of Ship-Building and Ocean Navigation, from the Ark to the Iron Steamships

by Frank B. (Frank Boott) Goodrich

About the author

Born in 1826, Frank Boott Goodrich was the son of Samuel Griswold Goodrich, the widely known writer behind the "Peter Parley" books. Sources describe him as born in Hartford, Connecticut, educated at Harvard, and taken to Paris after graduation when his father became United States consul there.

Goodrich built a varied literary career as an author, journalist, and playwright. Library and bibliographic records connect him with books such as The Court of Napoleon, The Tribute Book, The History of the Sea, and Women of Beauty and Heroism, showing his range from European society and maritime history to Civil War patriotism and popular biographical writing.

What makes him interesting now is the mix of subjects he chose and the broad audience he wrote for. His books were ambitious but approachable, shaped less like dry scholarship than like vivid guided tours through history, character, and public life.