author
William Drysdale
1852–1901
A lively newspaper man turned storyteller, he brought the energy of travel reporting into adventure fiction for young readers. His books draw on real places, hard-earned observation, and a taste for life at sea, on the frontier, and in fast-changing America.
3 Audiobooks
Strange stories of the Civil War
by Robert Shackleton, L. E. (Lucius Eugene) Chittenden, William Drysdale, G. A. Forsyth, John Habberton, William J. Henderson, Lucy C. (Lucy Cecil) Lillie, Howard Patterson
The Young Supercargo: A Story of the Merchant Marine
by William Drysdale
The young reporter : A story of Printing House Square
by William Drysdale
About the author
Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1852, William Drysdale was an American journalist and author who spent many years in New York newspaper circles. Sources describe him as serving for about twenty years on the staff of The New York Times, including work as an editor and foreign correspondent.
Drysdale was known for sharp travel writing as well as fiction. Modern scholarship on his Florida letters notes that he reported from places across the United States, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe, bringing an observant, on-the-ground style to his work. Later, while continuing some newspaper work, he devoted much of his time to writing novels for boys and young readers.
His books are remembered mainly as adventure stories, including titles such as Among the Alligators, The Princess of Montserrat, The Beach Patrol, and The Young Supercargo. He died in 1901, leaving behind a body of work that blends journalism, travel, and spirited storytelling.