Robert Leighton

Born in Scotland in 1858, Robert Leighton worked as a journalist and editor before becoming widely known for his fiction for younger readers. Reliable reference sources describe him as a Scottish journalist, editor, and writer of boys’ fiction, and note that he worked on juvenile magazines.

His stories often drew on history and adventure, with titles such as The Golden Galleon, Olaf the Glorious, and The Thirsty Sword. Sources also note that he became well informed about dogs and their care, and he published a number of books on that subject as well.

Leighton died in 1934. Some catalogs list his dates as 1859–1934, but major biographical references found during research give his life as June 5, 1858 – May 11, 1934, so there appears to be a small discrepancy in the birth year across sources.