RICHARD HARDING DAVIS, a Philadelphia-born journalist, led a mythic life, one full of adventure, high drama, and at least one close call with Germans who thought he was a spy during World War I.

Davis was a respected reporter and editor who described foreign events to the U.S. during the late 1800s and early 1900s. He covered the globe while working as war correspondent for Harper's and other publications, and reported on the Spanish War, the Spanish-American War in Cuba, and the Boer War. During World War I, he was captured by the Germans, who accused him of being a British spy.

His reporting also helped to create the Rough Riders legend associated with Teddy Roosevelt. He collected many of his articles in the books Rulers of the Mediterranean, About Paris, and Three Gringos in Venezuela and Central America. This book, written by the journalist's brother, provides an intimate look at a writer who led a very public life.