James Bone CH was a British journalist, who was also the author of a number of books, including books written on the subjects of Edinburgh and London. Born in Glasgow, Bone's parents were journalist David Drummond Bone (1841–1911) and his wife, Elizabeth Millar Crawford (1847–1886). His brothers included Sir Muirhead Bone, the artist, and Captain Sir David Bone, author and mariner. He left school aged 14, working briefly for the Laird Line before joining his father at the North British Daily Mail, which closed in 1901. In 1902 he started work at the London office of the Manchester Guardian. He married Anne McGavigan in 1903; they had no children. He became London editor in 1912. He wrote a regular column, his London Letter, describing in an informal way events from London. He retired in 1945. He was made a Companion of Honour in 1947. His wife died in 1950, but Bone lived to see his 90th birthday in 1962, receiving birthday messages from Queen Elizabeth II, President John F. Kennedy, and Harold Macmillan. He died on 23 November 1962.