Robert Barr

Robert Barr (16 September 1849 - 21 October 1912 was a Scottish-Canadian short story writer and novelist, born in Glasgow, Scotland.Barr emigrated with his parents to Upper Canada at age four and was educated in Toronto at Toronto Normal School. Barr became a teacher and eventual headmaster of the Central School of Windsor, Ontario. While he had that job he began to contribute short stories-often based on personal experiences-to the Detroit Free Press. In 1876 Barr quit his teaching position to become a staff member of that publication, in which his contributions were published with the pseudonym "Luke Sharp." This nom de plume was derived from the time he attended school in Toronto. At that time he would pass on his daily commute a shop sign marked, "Luke Sharpe, Undertaker", a combination of words Barr considered amusing in their incongruity. Barr was promoted by the Detroit Free Press, eventually becoming its news editor.

Robert Barr (16 September 1849 - 21 October 1912 was a Scottish-Canadian short story writer and novelist, born in Glasgow, Scotland.Barr emigrated with his parents to Upper Canada at age four and was educated in Toronto at Toronto Normal School. Barr became a teacher and eventual headmaster of the Central School of Windsor, Ontario. While he had that job he began to contribute short stories-often based on personal experiences-to the Detroit Free Press. In 1876 Barr quit his teaching position to become a staff member of that publication, in which his contributions were published with the pseudonym "Luke Sharp." This nom de plume was derived from the time he attended school in Toronto. At that time he would pass on his daily commute a shop sign marked, "Luke Sharpe, Undertaker", a combination of words Barr considered amusing in their incongruity. Barr was promoted by the Detroit Free Press, eventually becoming its news editor.

Robert Barr (16 September 1849 - 21 October 1912 was a Scottish-Canadian short story writer and novelist, born in Glasgow, Scotland.Barr emigrated with his parents to Upper Canada at age four and was educated in Toronto at Toronto Normal School. Barr became a teacher and eventual headmaster of the Central School of Windsor, Ontario. While he had that job he began to contribute short stories-often based on personal experiences-to the Detroit Free Press. In 1876 Barr quit his teaching position to become a staff member of that publication, in which his contributions were published with the pseudonym "Luke Sharp." This nom de plume was derived from the time he attended school in Toronto. At that time he would pass on his daily commute a shop sign marked, "Luke Sharpe, Undertaker", a combination of words Barr considered amusing in their incongruity. Barr was promoted by the Detroit Free Press, eventually becoming its news editor.

A retired insurance investigator with an itch, an adventurer from China, a curious lawyer, an opera buff and a Sherlock Holmes emulator are the stars of British Mystery Multipack Volume 10 - British Super Sleuths Hunted Down by Charles Dickens Lady Alicia's Diamonds by Robert Barr Dead Men's Money by J. S. Fletcher The Sleuth of St. James's Square by Melville Davisson Post The Daffodil Mystery by Edgar Wallace

An exciting new annotated edition of the only novel ever published that depicts the 1866 invasion of British-ruled Canada by Irish republicans, an event that would help set the stage for Confederation ... New notes provide fascinating insight into this intriguing narrative of Canadian-American relations. The two countries clash in this fast-paced comedy of manners by Scottish-Canadian-American writer Robert Barr (1849-1912). In 1866, a group of Irish-Americans known as the Fenian Brotherhood carried out cross-border raids into British-ruled Canada. The main reason was to take over Canada-or part of it-in order to hold it hostage, with a view to forcing Britain's political exit from Ireland. Battle-hardened veterans fresh from fighting in the American Civil War crossed the border, and were surprised by the resistance they met. In the context of the novel, a vacationing American journalist is equally surprised by feisty Canadians who are ever willing to push back against stereotypes.It is no coincidence that Confederation took place the year following the raids, as Canadians realized their vulnerability to invasion.