author

M. H. (Matthew Henry) Barker

1790–1846

A sailor-turned-writer who drew on real life at sea, he became known for lively naval tales packed with action, humor, and hard-earned detail. Writing as "The Old Sailor," he brought the world of early 19th-century seafaring to a wide popular audience.

2 Audiobooks

Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) : A series of naval tales and sketches to please all hands, from the swabs on the shoulders down to the swabs in the head

Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) : A series of naval tales and sketches to please all hands, from the swabs on the shoulders down to the swabs in the head

by M. H. (Matthew Henry) Barker

Tough yarns, vol. 2 (of 2) : A series of naval tales and sketches to please all hands, from the swabs on the shoulders down to the swabs in the head

Tough yarns, vol. 2 (of 2) : A series of naval tales and sketches to please all hands, from the swabs on the shoulders down to the swabs in the head

by M. H. (Matthew Henry) Barker

About the author

Born in Deptford in 1790, Matthew Henry Barker went to sea young, serving first on an East Indiaman and then in the Royal Navy. Those years shaped the work he later became known for: brisk, colorful sea stories that felt convincing because they grew out of experience.

After leaving active service, he worked in journalism and newspaper editing, including posts connected with provincial newspapers and later the United Service Gazette. Under the pen name "The Old Sailor," he published nautical fiction and sketches that were widely read in their day.

His best-known books include Land and Sea Tales, The Naval Club, The Victory, and a Life of Nelson. Many of his works were illustrated by George Cruikshank, and together they helped fix Barker's place as one of the spirited popular writers of maritime adventure in early Victorian Britain. He died in London on June 29, 1846.