author

John A. (John Alexander) Hill

1858–1916

Best known as a co-founder of the company that became McGraw-Hill, he also wrote vivid railroad stories shaped by firsthand experience in machine shops, on the rails, and in technical publishing. His work blends practical know-how with an easy, energetic storytelling style.

2 Audiobooks

Danger Signals

Danger Signals

by Jasper Ewing Brady, John A. (John Alexander) Hill

Stories of the Railroad

Stories of the Railroad

by John A. (John Alexander) Hill

About the author

Born in Vermont in 1858, he built an unusually varied career before becoming known in publishing. In the 1880s he worked in machine shops and as a railroad engineer, experience that later gave his writing its strong sense of place and detail.

He moved into trade journalism in 1888 as an editor of Locomotive Engineer and went on to produce several technical publications. In 1902 he founded The Hill Publishing Company, which published major weekly magazines including American Machinist, Power, Engineering News, The Engineering and Mining Journal, and Coal Age.

He is also remembered as a co-founder of the McGraw-Hill Book Company, formed in 1909 with James H. McGraw, and he served as its president until his death in 1916. Alongside his business career, his books such as Stories of the Railroad and Danger Signals drew on railroad life to create brisk, memorable tales for general readers.