A. J. Townsend, New York

This firm published one Mayne Reid title: War Life, or The Adventures of a Light Infantry Officer. This 70 page book was privately printed on June 27, 1849.

The story had been serialized previously in the Literary American. A. J. Townsend was the publisher of this periodical.



In 1850 this title was revised and reprinted in London as The Rifle Ranger. The first American edition was published by De Witt and Davenport in 1851.

William A. J. Townsend was born in New York City in 1814. After working as a railway conductor, he joined the publishing firm of Burgess, Stringer in 1843.

In an interview that Townsend gave when he was 80, he pointed out his lost opportunities to be rich. He turned down an offer to buy a half interest in the patent of a sewing machine that would become the Singer sewing machine. He also had the opportunity to secure the book rights of Bleak House from Charles Dickens but failed to do so.