Known in his younger days as Edward, he was the second son of Robert Hare Long of Ardmayle, and Anna Geraldine McAuliffe.
Since his father was often away on business or attending horse-racing events, young Edward barely knew him, and was just seven years old when he died in Montreal in February, 1880.
For several years, Robert continued to develop and polish his writing skills, and accordingly rose through the ranks, so that by 1897, he found himself on the editorial staff both publications.
He became confident enough, while continuing to work for Jerome, to set out on his own and in 1894 became "engaged in journalism as London correspondent for American newspapers.
[5] As a result, Robert Long became well-acquainted with the charismatic Russian novelist and philosopher (and author of War and Peace (1866)).
"[6] Robert Long started work for the Westminster Gazette early in his career, circa 1898, when he first went to Russia, and stayed with them until the paper folded.
Thus, Robert Edward Crozier Long married Tatiana, daughter of Arsene Mouravieff, President of the Tamboff District Court, by his wife, Vera Kreiter, of a Russian family with a Baltic name.
When Robert Long was assigned to Berlin by the Westminster Gazette in 1911, he and his wife left Russia and settled in the German capital.
But the Turks didn’t know this and believed they had captured a real prize, a true Bulgarian general, so they threw Long in jail where he stayed for an entire week before he was able to convince the Turkish authorities to contact the British Consul in Istanbul.
The stewing Balkan cauldron erupted again during late June, 1914, with the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, at Sarajevo, Bosnia.
He had to leave his apartment, after storing all their possessions, in order not to be arrested as an enemy alien after war was declared, and took refuge in the British Embassy which made him a (temporary) second secretary, giving him diplomatic status.
Though himself an aristocrat and a man of wealth, he was ready to go to great lengths to meet the Socialist spirit of the workmen, soldiers and peasants."
With his family he returned to Berlin in late 1918, having spent the previous year residing in Stockholm, Sweden, where he could be close to the latest political developments in Russia.
For several years, his journalistic career continued to prosper, and important newspapers engaged his services as a special correspondent in Russia, Scandinavia and the United States.
He had sent mother to Bruges in Belgium while he remained to cover the dramatic events for a couple of British papers (as well as his own) whose correspondents had left Berlin.
Although he had always enjoyed good health, his bronchitis, aggravated by the stormy political climate, turned into pneumonia, which resulted in his death on 18 October 1938.
Advised to leave Germany with other journalists of British nationality, he sent his wife away but remained himself until what seemed the last moment, when he went to Belgium just before the Munich conference was arranged.
A brilliant and lovable personality with native Irish wit, great linguistic talent and much travel made Mr. Long an attractive companion in any environment.
In his leisure hours he was a great outdoor man, sailing, swimming, playing tennis and indulging in other sports whenever the opportunity offered.
Since then he had sent a weekly cable on the German market and on the financial situation in that country, which was published on Mondays, and occasional dispatches on intervening days.
"[13] After his funeral service at Berlin's Mattaeikirche Chapel, Robert Edward Crozier Long was buried in the adjacent cemetery.
When threatening war clouds gathered ominously over Europe in August 1939, the family left for France, England, and finally the United States.
His widow Tatiana Mouravieva Long died on 29 March 1978, just a week short of her ninety-fourth birthday, and her ashes were scattered over her daughter's Ottawa rose garden.
"[14] Robert's second cousin, the late Irish essayist, Hubert Butler (1900–1991), also spoke Russian and translated Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard into English.