Russell (1844-1911) was an English writer best known for his nautical novels. Aged 13 he joined the Merchant Navy, serving for eight years. The hardships of life at sea damaged his health permanently but provided him with plentiful material for his writing. By the mid-1860s he had embarked on a career in journalism, contributing to a variety of newspapers, most notably The Daily Telegraph for which he wrote articles under the pseudonym "Seafarer". The 1870s saw the publication of his first nautical fiction, and The Wreck of the Grosvenor (1877), which he considered as his first real sea book, was well reviewed and achieved good sales, remaining widely read well into the 20th century. This work, dedicated to Herman Melville, was first published in 1889 and is reprinted from a later edition of 1911.