J. Buchan (John Buchan) Telfer

Born in 1830, John Buchan Telfer served in the Royal Navy and took part in the Crimean War, later receiving the Baltic Medal. He also became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, reflecting the historical and scholarly interests that shaped much of his writing.

Telfer is remembered for books that grew out of travel, research, and close attention to places on the edge of Europe and Asia. Among his best-known works are The Crimea and Transcaucasia and The Eastern Question; he also wrote on historical figures such as the Chevalier d'Eon.

That mix of naval experience, wide travel, and antiquarian curiosity gives his work a distinctive flavor. For listeners drawn to nineteenth-century journeys, imperial politics, and overlooked corners of history, his writing offers both adventure and a strong sense of place.