J. B. (John Black) Atkins

Born on November 5, 1871, John Black Atkins was a British journalist and author. He studied at Marlborough College and then at Pembroke College, Cambridge, before moving into journalism.

He is best known as a war correspondent for the Manchester Guardian, reporting from conflicts including the Spanish–American War and the Second Boer War. He later worked with The Spectator, and archival and library records also describe him as an assistant editor there.

Atkins wrote a wide range of books, from war reporting such as The War in Cuba and The Relief of Ladysmith to biography, including a life of the pioneering correspondent William Howard Russell. That mix of eyewitness journalism and reflective writing gives his work lasting interest for readers drawn to history, politics, and the craft of reporting.