Ernest Edwin Reynolds (1894–1981)

There appear to be two texts of this biography: that of the 1955 first edition and the 1972 edition, re-written and augmented. There is also an edition from the 1990s. I haven't seen that, but I think it's a reprint of one of the earlier editions.

My edition (1972) is clearly and sensibly written, enjoyable and interesting. There are long stretches of Fisher's life about which only the bare outline is known. I've noticed that many biographers use these spaces to recount the sweep of history, giving the reader the big picture. Reynolds doesn't do that. He uses those spaces to give odd details that would probably be of more use to someone who knows a fair bit about the period. I do not. Very interesting though.

I spent most of the book thinking Fisher to be a very boring man. It is only in the closing chapters that Reynolds tells us about Fisher's mind and personal life. Introducing your protagonist at the end of the book is unacceptable and it is for this act of incompetent storytelling that I have knocked off a star.… (más)