author
James R. (James Richard) Thursfield
1840–1923
Best known as a sharp-eyed naval historian and journalist, he also helped launch what became the Times Literary Supplement. His writing brings together public affairs, military history, and clear, confident prose.
1 Audiobook
Naval Warfare
by James R. (James Richard) Thursfield
About the author
Born in Kidderminster in 1840, James Richard Thursfield was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School and Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He stayed on at Oxford as a tutor and in other academic posts before moving into journalism.
He joined The Times in 1877 as a leader writer and soon became closely associated with naval affairs. Over the years he built a strong reputation as an authority on maritime policy and history, and he is also remembered as the first editor of the publication that began in 1902 as The Times Literary Supplement.
Thursfield wrote on politics and biography as well as naval subjects, and his career shows an unusual mix of scholar, critic, and public commentator. He was knighted, and he died in 1923.