Henry C. Barkley

Born in Little Melton, Norfolk, on March 11, 1837, Henry Charles Barkley was the son of the local rector. He trained as a civil engineer and spent about thirteen years in Bulgaria helping to build railways, an experience that gave him firsthand knowledge of places and people far beyond England.

Barkley later wrote books that ranged widely in subject. He is especially remembered for Studies in the Art of Rat-Catching (1896), a practical and entertaining work that has remained his best-known title, but his published works also include My Boyhood and A Ride Through Asia Minor and Armenia.

That mix of hands-on skill, travel, and curiosity gives his work its character. Even when writing about specialized or rough-and-ready subjects, he comes across as an observant storyteller as well as a practical guide.