The Shadow of a Shade: A man explores the Arctic, but his friend takes advantage of this

Hood was educated at University College School and Louth Grammar School before attending Pembroke College, Oxford, in 1853 to study for a career in the Church. Despite passing all of his exams he never graduated.

Hood began writing at Oxford and first published soon after his arrival there. Much of his work is humourous or for children (which his sister co-authored) but he also wrote novels, two books on English verse composition and short stories as well as many pieces for magazines and periodicals. Hood was also a talented artist and illustrated several of his father's comic verses.

In 1860 he began a five-year stint for the War Office before leaving to edit the weekly ‘Fun Magazine’. Many of his wide range of friends including W S Gilbert and Ambrose Bierce contributed to this very popular weekly magazine.

Tom Hood died suddenly at his cottage at Peckham Rye, Surrey on the 20th November 1874. He was 39.