Frederick Ferdinand Moore was an early 20th-century American novelist, short-story writer, editor, publisher, soldier, and war correspondent. His debut novel, The Devil's Admiral, was inspired by his extensive travels as a sailor, soldier in the Philippine-American War, and later as a correspondent during the Russo-Japanese conflict. Moore served as an intelligence officer in the American Expeditionary Force in Siberia and received the Order of the Rising Sun 5th Class from Japan. Born on December 24, 1881, in Concord, New Hampshire, he was the eldest of four children. His parents, James Bell Moore and Nellie C. Moore, were from England and Ireland, respectively. The family lived in Enfield, New Hampshire, where Moore worked as a weaver in a woolen factory. To combine work and learning, he would read books attached to his loom. Moore reportedly attended Boston College, though it's unclear if he completed high school. According to The New York Times, he ran away to sea at 15, working as a seagoing cowpuncher on a cattleboat bound for Liverpool. His experiences shaped his writings and made him an insightful commentator on global affairs.