author
W. S. C. (Waterman Spaulding Chapman) Russell
1871–1918
A New Hampshire traveler and early 20th-century writer, he is best remembered for a vivid book on Iceland shaped by firsthand journeys across the island on horseback. His writing blends curiosity, adventure, and a clear affection for Iceland’s landscapes, history, and people.
1 Audiobook
Iceland: Horseback tours in saga land
by W. S. C. (Waterman Spaulding Chapman) Russell
About the author
Born in North Woodstock, New Hampshire, on April 13, 1871, Waterman Spaulding Chapman Russell wrote under the shorter name W. S. C. Russell. He died in the same town on September 29, 1918, at the age of 47.
Russell is known for Iceland: Horseback Tours in Saga Land, published in 1914. In that travel book, he recounts riding across Iceland and shares observations on the country’s scenery, sagas, and everyday life. The surviving record available here points to him as a traveler with a lasting fascination for Iceland and a wish to introduce English-speaking readers to a place he felt was not widely understood.
Very little easily verifiable biographical detail survives online beyond those basic facts, but his book gives a strong sense of his voice: observant, energetic, and drawn to remote landscapes. For listeners who enjoy classic travel writing, Russell offers a window into Iceland as seen by an American visitor just before the First World War.