Ernest William Hornung was born in Middlesbrough, England on 7th June 1866, the third son and youngest of eight children. Although spending most of his life in England and France he spent two years in Australia from 1884 and that experience was to colour and influence much of his written works. His most famous character A. J. Raffles, 'the gentleman thief', was published first in Cassell's Magazine during 1898 and was to make him famous across the world as the new century dawned. Hornung also wrote several stage plays and was a gifted poet. Spending time with the troops in WWI he published Notes of a Camp-Follower on the Western Front during 1919, a detailed account of his time there. This was especially close to his heart as his son, and only child, was killed at the Second Battle of Ypres on 6th July 1915. Ernest William Hornung died in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, in the south of France on 22nd March 1921. Index of Contents CHAPTER I - THE COMING OF TINY CHAPTER II - SWIFT OF WALLANDOON CHAPTER III - THE TAIL OF THE SEASON CHAPTER IV - RUTH AND CHRISTINA CHAPTER V - ESSINGHAM RECTORY CHAPTER VI - A MATTER OF ANCIENT HISTORY CHAPTER VII - THE SHADOW OF THE HALL CHAPTER VIII - COUNTESS DROMARD AT HOME CHAPTER IX - MOTHER AND SON CHAPTER X - A THREATENING DAWN CHAPTER XI - IN THE LADIES' TENT CHAPTER XII - ORDEAL BY BATTLE CHAPTER XIII - HER HOUR OF TRIUMPH CHAPTER XIV - A CYCLE OF MOODS CHAPTER XV - THE INVISIBLE IDEAL CHAPTER XVI - FOREIGN SOIL CHAPTER XVII - THE HIGH SEAS CHAPTER XVIII - THE THIRD TIME OF ASKING CHAPTER XIX - COUNSEL'S OPINION CHAPTER XX - IN HONOR BOUND CHAPTER XXI - A DEAF EAR CHAPTER XXII - SUMMUM BONUM E.W. HORNUNG - A SHORT BIOGRAPHY E.W. HORNUNG - A CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY