author
William Lord Watts
1850–1921
An adventurous Victorian travel writer and geologist, he is best remembered for vivid books about Iceland and for later geological work in California. His writing blends firsthand exploration with a strong eye for landscape, science, and the thrill of difficult journeys.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in 1850, William Lord Watts was a British mining engineer and geologist who also wrote lively travel books. Records from the University of Edinburgh describe him as a British mining engineer who worked in Iceland and America, and his published work shows that Iceland was one of his great subjects.
His best-known books include Snioland; or, Iceland, Its Jökulls and Fjalls and Across the Vatna Jökull; or, Scenes in Iceland. Those works helped introduce English-language readers to Iceland’s glaciers, volcanoes, and rough interior through a mix of travel narrative and close observation.
Later in his career, Watts carried his geological interests to the United States. Historical accounts of California geology credit him with important studies of oil- and gas-bearing formations in the Los Angeles region and the Central Valley. He died in 1921.