John Black Atkins (5 November 1871 – 1954) was a British journalist. He served as the war correspondent for the '' Manchester Guardian'' in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

, the Greco-Turkish War and in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

. He also wrote the biography of

William Howard Russell Sir William Howard Russell, (28 March 182011 February 1907) was an Irish reporter with ''The Times'', and is considered to have been one of the first modern war correspondents. He spent 22 months covering the Crimean War, including the Sieg ...

Life

He was the third son of James Bucknell Atkins of

Anerley Anerley () is an area of south east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located south south-east of Charing Cross, to the south of Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, west of Penge, north of Elmers End and South Norwood. ...

, born on 5 November 1871. He was educated at Marlborough College, matriculating in 1889 at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1892 and M.A. in 1896. At Cambridge, he ran against

William Beach Thomas Sir William Beach Thomas, (22 May 186812 May 1957) was a British author and journalist known for his work as a war correspondent and his writings about nature and country life. Thomas was the son of a clergyman in Cambridgeshire. H ...

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...

when competing in the

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...

athletics team. After Cambridge, Atkins joined ''

The Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''. He left England on 23 April 1898 as the first special correspondent of the newspaper to cover the Spanish–American War of 1898 in both

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

and

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

. Atkins covered the Battle of El Caney and accompanied General

William Rufus Shafter William Rufus Shafter (October 16, 1835 – November 12, 1906) was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who received America's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Fair Oaks. Shafter ...

's army in the Capture of Santiago in Cuba. In

he covered the attack on Asomante Heights and interviewed General

Nelson A. Miles Nelson Appleton Miles (August 8, 1839 – May 15, 1925) was an American military general who served in the American Civil War, the American Indian Wars, and the Spanish–American War. From 1895 to 1903, Miles served as the last Commanding Gen ...

. Atkins was specially chosen by Charles Prestwich Scott, the then editor of the ''Manchester Guardian'' to cover the

for his journalistic skills. Scott who sought to reflect his newspaper as a neutral force in the opposition of the war chose Atkins for his non-imperialistic views. Yet as the war progressed, Atkins tended to support the war effort sticking only to the facts. Atkins became a friend of fellow correspondent

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

(later

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern ...

) whom he described as "slim, slightly reddish-haired, pale, lively, frequently plunging along the deck". He later published the book ''The Relief of Ladysmith'' based on his experience in the Boer War. On his return to England, he was promoted to London editor in 1901. He left ''The Manchester Guardian'' in 1907 and joined ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world. It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''The ...

'' as an assistant editor. He held that position until 1926.

Bibliography

* * * ''A FLOATING HOME'', co-authored with Cyril Ionides. London: Chatto & Windus 1918.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, John Black British male journalists 1871 births 1954 deaths British biographers British war correspondents Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge The Guardian journalists People of the Second Boer War People of the Greco-Turkish War (1897) War correspondents of the Spanish–American War Male biographers