author
H. A. (Henry Augustus) Wise
1819–1869
A U.S. Navy officer who turned firsthand adventure into vivid travel writing and sea stories, this 19th-century writer brought Mexico, California, and the Pacific to life for his readers. His books mix action, observation, and the rough energy of life at sea.
2 Audiobooks
Captain Brand of the "Centipede" A Pirate of Eminence in the West Indies: His Love and Exploits, Together with Some Account of the Singular Manner by Which He Departed This Life
by H. A. (Henry Augustus) Wise
Los gringos; or, An inside view of Mexico and California : with wanderings in Peru, Chili, and Polynesia
by H. A. (Henry Augustus) Wise
About the author
Born in Brooklyn on May 24, 1819, Henry Augustus Wise served in the United States Navy and also built a career as an author. His naval service took him to Mexico, California, Peru, Chile, and Polynesia, and those experiences gave his writing a strong sense of place and immediacy.
He is best known for Los Gringos (1849), a lively account drawn from his travels and military service during the Mexican-American War era. He also wrote maritime fiction and adventure tales, sometimes using the pen name Harry Gringo, including works such as Captain Brand and Tales for the Marines.
Wise died in Naples, Italy, on April 3, 1869. Today he is remembered as a naval writer whose books offer both colorful storytelling and a firsthand glimpse of the 19th-century American world at sea.