author
Walter Taylor Field
1861–1939
A longtime editor and educator, he wrote books that helped young readers discover literature, myth, and history in an inviting way. His work ranges from reading instruction and children's literature to a two-volume study of Rome.
1 Audiobook
The Young and Field Literary Readers, Book 2
by Ella Flagg Young, Walter Taylor Field
About the author
Born in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1861, Walter Taylor Field built a career around books, education, and publishing. Sources agree that he studied at Dartmouth before earning his bachelor's degree from Amherst College in 1883, and that he later worked with publishing houses including S. C. Griggs, Harper & Brothers, and Ginn & Company.
Field is best remembered for writing and editing books meant to guide readers into literature. His works include Fingerposts to Children's Reading, the Young and Field Literary Readers created with educator Ella Flagg Young, and anthologies such as Readings from English and American Literature. He also wrote on broader subjects, including the two-volume Rome, showing an interest that reached beyond school readers alone.
He died in 1939. Even now, his books suggest a writer who cared deeply about making reading approachable and worthwhile, especially for younger audiences.