Cobb (1876-1944) was an American author, humorist, editor and columnist from Paducah, Kentucky who relocated to New York in 1904 where he lived for the rest of his life. He wrote for the New York World, Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper, as the highest paid staff reporter in the USA. He was the author of more than 60 books and 300 short stories, with some of his works being adapted for the screen. Cobb covered the First World War from 1914 for the Saturday Evening Post travelling throughout Belgium, France, Germany and Britain as a neutral observer and spending time with the Belgian forces, and both the British and German armies. In 1915 he published a book about his experiences, Paths of Glory. He returned to France when America joined the war, continuing to write for the Post and in 1918 published this second book in which his later Post articles are collected. It is notable for bringing to the public's attention the courage shown by black American soldiers fighting in Europe.