Frederick O'Brien

Born in Baltimore on June 16, 1869, Frederick O'Brien lived the kind of life that sounds half like reporting and half like adventure. After time at Loyola College, he left formal study behind and traveled widely, working a range of jobs before building a career in journalism.

He reported in the United States and abroad, edited newspapers in Manila and California, and covered major events including the Russo-Japanese War. His long travels also shaped his political outlook: accounts of his life describe him as increasingly critical of imperialism, especially in the Philippines and Latin America.

O'Brien is best remembered for a trio of popular South Seas books, including White Shadows in the South Seas, Mystic Isles of the South Seas, and Atolls of the Sun. Based in part on time he spent in the Marquesas and other Pacific islands, these books made him a bestselling author, and White Shadows in the South Seas was later adapted into a film. He died in San Francisco on January 9, 1932.