author
Sir Arthur Helps
1813–1875
A Victorian essayist and historian who paired public service with a thoughtful literary life, he wrote on friendship, politics, Spanish conquest, and the lives of major historical figures. His work is often remembered for its calm, conversational style and for the wide range of subjects it explored.
3 Audiobooks
Friends in Council — First Series
by Sir Arthur Helps
The Claims of Labour: An essay on the duties of the employers to the employed
by Sir Arthur Helps
The Life of Columbus
by Sir Arthur Helps
About the author
Born in Streatham on July 10, 1813, Sir Arthur Helps was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge. Alongside his writing career, he served in government and rose to become clerk of the Privy Council, a senior post he held during the reign of Queen Victoria.
He wrote essays, dialogue-style reflections, history, biography, and fiction. Among his best-known works are Friends in Council, The Conquerors of the New World and Their Bondsmen, The Spanish Conquest in America, and The Life of Columbus. His books often mix moral reflection with history, showing a steady interest in power, responsibility, and human character.
Helps was also known as an early advocate for kinder treatment of animals, adding another humane thread to his public voice. He died on March 7, 1875, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both the curiosity of a man of letters and the experience of someone close to the machinery of government.