author
Frederick Martin
1830–1883
Best remembered for launching and editing The Statesman’s Year-Book, this Swiss-born British writer brought politics, economics, and biography together in clear, practical prose. He also worked closely with Thomas Carlyle and wrote across an unusually wide range of subjects, from John Clare to marine insurance.
1 Audiobook
The Life of John Clare
by Frederick Martin
About the author
Born in Geneva in 1830 and educated at Heidelberg, he settled in England while still young and built a career as a writer, editor, and compiler. His background in languages and research made him especially well suited to factual, wide-ranging work, and he became known for turning large bodies of information into books that ordinary readers could use.
For several years after 1856, he served as secretary and amanuensis to Thomas Carlyle, helping with historical research. He went on to found and edit The Statesman’s Year-Book, the long-running annual reference work on the world’s states and governments, and also produced books on biography, history, economics, and public affairs.
His writing life was remarkably varied. Alongside his editorial and statistical work, he published studies such as The Life of John Clare and works on subjects including Lloyd’s, church property, and contemporary biography. He died in London in 1883, leaving behind a body of work that combined literary curiosity with a gift for organized, dependable information.