author
J. Castell (John Castell) Hopkins
1864–1923
A prolific journalist and reference writer, this Canadian author helped shape how readers at the turn of the 20th century understood the country's politics, history, and public life. He is especially remembered for major encyclopedic projects and for yearly surveys of Canadian affairs.
2 Audiobooks
The Life of King Edward VII with a sketch of the career of King George V
by J. Castell (John Castell) Hopkins
South Africa and the Boer-British War, Volume I Comprising a History of South Africa and its people, including the war of 1899 and 1900
by J. Castell (John Castell) Hopkins, Murat Halstead
About the author
Born in Dyersville, Iowa, on April 1, 1864, he moved to Canada when he was young and was educated in Bowmanville and Toronto. After early work at the Imperial Bank, he turned to journalism and became associated with the Toronto Mail and Empire, building a career as a writer, editor, and commentator on Canadian public affairs.
Over roughly three decades, he produced a large body of work that included biographies, histories, pamphlets, and reference books. He edited Canada: An Encyclopaedia of the Country and is also closely linked with The Canadian Annual Review, a long-running record of political and public events that made him an important chronicler of his era.
His writing was strongly shaped by imperial ideas common in parts of English-speaking Canada at the time, and modern biographies note his openly pro-British outlook. Even so, his range and productivity made him a notable figure in early Canadian publishing and historical reference writing until his death in Toronto on November 5, 1923.