Pemberton, Max: The Iron Pirate v1 17 mar 2009
 

Sir Max Pemberton (1863-1950) was a popular British novelist, working mainly in the adventure and mystery genres. He was educated at St Albans School, Merchant Taylors' School, and Caius College, Cambridge. A clubman, journalist and dandy (Lord Northcliffe admired his 'fancy vests'), he frequented both Fleet Street and The Savage Club.

Pemberton was the editor of boys' magazine Chums during its heyday. Between 1896 and 1906, he also edited Cassell's Magazine, in which capacity he published the early works of Austin Freeman, William Le Queux and Bertram Fletcher Robinson.

His most famous work The Iron Pirate was a bestseller during the early 1890s and it launched his prolific writing career (see below). It was the story of a great gas-driven iron-clad, which could outpace the navies of the world and terrorized the Atlantic Ocean. Other notable works included The Wheels of Anarchy (1908) and Captain Black (1911).