Walter Geer

Born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on August 19, 1857, Walter Danforth Geer was an American author and historian. Before turning seriously to books, he built a career in the architectural terra-cotta industry and wrote on that subject as well, including Terra Cotta in Architecture and The Story of Terra Cotta.

Later in life, Geer became especially known for accessible, narrative histories centered on Napoleon, the Bonaparte family, and the French Revolution. His books include Napoleon and His Family, Napoleon and Josephine, Napoleon the Third, and Recollections of the Revolution and the Empire, along with works such as Campaigns of the Civil War and The Geer Genealogy.

That wide range helps explain his appeal: he could move from architecture to military history, biography, and family history without losing his clear, readable style. He died on February 23, 1937.