author
William Henry Hurlbert
1827–1895
A sharp, globe-trotting 19th-century journalist, he moved through American politics, war reporting, and literary culture with unusual energy. He is now especially remembered for the long-mysterious "Diary of a Public Man," a work later linked to him after years of debate.
3 Audiobooks
France and the Republic A Record of Things Seen and Learned in the French Provinces During the 'Centennial' Year 1889
by William Henry Hurlbert
Ireland Under Coercion: The Diary of an American (1 of 2) (2nd ed.) (1888)
by William Henry Hurlbert
Ireland Under Coercion: The Diary of an American (2 of 2) (2nd ed.) (1888)
by William Henry Hurlbert
About the author
Born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1827, William Henry Hurlbert studied at Harvard and went on to build a wide-ranging career in letters and journalism. He wrote for Putnam's Magazine, worked as a critic, and later joined the New York Times, developing a reputation as an able and ambitious writer.
During the Civil War era, he was known for his anti-slavery views and for reporting from the South; he was even arrested and imprisoned in Richmond in 1861. Later he became editor in chief of the New York World, placing him close to the political and cultural debates of his day.
Hurlbert also wrote poetry, travel pieces, and other prose, but modern readers often encounter him through The Diary of a Public Man, published anonymously in 1879 and long treated as an authorship puzzle. He died in Italy in 1895, leaving behind a career that mixed journalism, politics, and literary intrigue.