Henry Milner Rideout

Born in Calais, Maine, in 1877, Henry Milner Rideout became a prolific American writer whose output included sixteen novels, more than twenty short stories and novellas, and a biographical memoir. He studied at Harvard and also worked in academic editing, a background that helps explain the mix of literary polish and wide-ranging curiosity in his fiction.

Rideout wrote stories set both in New England and farther afield, often drawing on travel and close observation. A number of his works were published in popular magazines, especially The Saturday Evening Post, and his fiction was noted for its atmosphere, detail, and sense of adventure.

He died in 1927 at the age of 50. Though he is not as widely read now as some of his contemporaries, he remains an interesting figure for readers who enjoy early modern adventure tales, magazine fiction, and American writing with a scholarly edge.