Herman Whitaker

Herman James Whitaker (January 14, 1867 – January 20, 1919), known as Jim to his friends, was an English-born writer. Whitaker authored more than two hundred short stories and several books.

Early life

Whitaker was born on January 14, 1867, in Huddersfield, England. His father was John Whitaker (1821-1883), a successful wool merchant, and his mother was Annie Walton (1834-1921). He had two years of college at Crossley's School at Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Career

At 16, Whitaker joined the British Army and served for 3 years with the 2nd Battalion West Riding Artillery. When he left the army in 1886, he immigrated to Canada and worked for the Hudson's Bay Company. He married Margaret A Vandecar (1868-1905) on March 21, 1888, in Oxford County, Ontario. They had seven children during their marriage. In the 1880s, Whitaker and his wife Margaret had a farm near Russell, Manitoba. In 1895, Whitaker moved to Oakland, California. His book,The Settler (1906), is a story about a man determined to build a railway to link to the Canadian Pacific Railway.

During World War I Whitaker became the Tribune's war correspondent with the American Expeditionary Forces in France. At the age of 50, he was with the troops on the front lines and felt the effects of mustard gas while going "over the top" during trench warfare. He flew in sea planes, was onboard destroyers, and on minesweepers as they cleared the sea lanes. His book, Hunting the German Shark, is based on what he observed of the Allied submarine warfare in the Atlantic. While he was aboard the destroyer USS Cummings, he met his son Percy Whitaker by surprise, who was a Gunner's mate on the Cummings.

Works

"The Probationer" (1905) The Settler (1906) The Planter (1909) "The Mystery of the Barranca" (1913) "Cross Trails: The Story of One Woman in the North Woods" (1914) Over the Border: A Novel of Northern Mexico (1916) "Hunting the German Shark" (1919)

Filmography The Planter , 1917, lost film 3 Bad Men, 1926, a silent adaptation of Over the Border Not Exactly Gentlemen, 1931 sound adaptation of Over the Border

Legacy

Whitaker authored 200 short stories for periodicals and several books. Many of Whitaker's stories dealt with social injustice and were set in Canada and Mexico. His novel Over the Border (1916) was adapted for the John Ford western 3 Bad Men in 1926.