Caleb Carr
Encyclopedia
Caleb Carr is an American
novelist and military historian.
, a former UPI editor and a key Beat generation
figure, he was born in Manhattan
and lived for much of his life on the Lower East Side
. He attended Kenyon College
and New York University
, earning a B.A. in military
and diplomatic history
. He writes frequently on military and political affairs and was a contributing editor of MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History until 2008.
He currently resides in upstate New York
on a farm estate called "Misery Mountain" in the town of Berlin, New York
, in Rensselaer County
. Carr ran as a Democrat for the Rensselaer County Legislature in 2005 but came in fourth of four candidates.
Many of his novels are set in the Gilded Age
or Victorian times
; The Italian Secretary was an authorized Sherlock Holmes
mystery.
, released as Exorcist: The Beginning
, for which he received a shared story credit. He also received a shared screenplay credit on Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist
, which received high praise from William Peter Blatty
(the author/screenwriter of The Exorcist
). In television, he appears on the PBS program American Experience as a guest commentator/narrator, such as on the episode of the NYC subway system, "New York Underground".
as a Visiting Professor. He was also a close friend and confidant of historian James Chace
, with whom he collaborated on America Invulnerable: The Quest for Absolute Security from 1812 to Star Wars.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist and military historian.
Biography
A son of Lucien CarrLucien Carr
Lucien Carr was a key member of the original New York City circle of the Beat Generation in the 1940s; later he worked for many years as an editor for United Press International.-Early life:...
, a former UPI editor and a key Beat generation
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
figure, he was born in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and lived for much of his life on the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
. He attended Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, earning a B.A. in military
Military history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
and diplomatic history
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
. He writes frequently on military and political affairs and was a contributing editor of MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History until 2008.
He currently resides in upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on a farm estate called "Misery Mountain" in the town of Berlin, New York
Berlin, New York
Berlin is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 1,901 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Berlin in Germany, although natives pronounce the name differently, with the accent on the first syllable....
, in Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
. Carr ran as a Democrat for the Rensselaer County Legislature in 2005 but came in fourth of four candidates.
Novels
- Casing the Promised LandCasing the Promised LandCasing the Promised Land is a novel written by the American novelist Caleb Carr. Published by HarperCollins in 1980, it was Carr's first published book . Acknowledging the amateur nature of the work, in 1999, Caleb Carr posted the following notice on Amazon.com: "I am the author of this book...
(1980) - The AlienistThe AlienistThe Alienist is a crime novel by Caleb Carr first published in 1994. It takes place in New York City in 1896, and includes appearances by many famous figures of New York society in that era, including Theodore Roosevelt and J. P. Morgan. The sequel to the novel is The Angel of Darkness. The story...
(1994) - The Angel of DarknessThe Angel of DarknessThe Angel of Darkness is a novel by Caleb Carr. It was published in 1997; and is a follow-up of The Alienist.-Historical figures in the novel:* Clarence Darrow* Theodore Roosevelt* Cornelius Vanderbilt II...
(1997) - Killing TimeKilling Time (Caleb Carr novel)Killing Time is a dystopian novel by Caleb Carr set in the Mid-21st Century. It was initially serialized in TIME and later published in 2000 by Random House. It includes criticisms of the information age . The book was a departure for Carr, whose previous two novels were crime thrillers set in the...
(2000) - The Italian SecretaryThe Italian SecretaryThe Italian Secretary is mystery fiction by Caleb Carr. This literary pastiche is meant as an honourable homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and one that had the approval of the Doyle estate.-Plot introduction:Sherlock Holmes and Dr...
(2005)
Many of his novels are set in the Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
or Victorian times
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
; The Italian Secretary was an authorized Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
mystery.
Non-fiction
- America Invulnerable: The Quest for Absolute Security from 1812 to Star Wars by James Chace and Caleb Carr (1989)
- The Devil Soldier, a biography of 19-century American mercenary Frederick Townsend WardFrederick Townsend WardFrederick Townsend Ward was an American sailor, mercenary, and soldier of fortune famous for his military victories for Imperial China during the Taiping Rebellion.-Early life:...
(1992) - No End Save Victory : Perspectives on World War II by Stephen E., Caleb Carr, John Keegan, William Manchester, and others. Ed Ambrose (2001)
- The Lessons of Terror (2002)
- What Ifs? of American History: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been by Antony Beevor, Caleb Carr, Robert Dallek, and John Lukacs (2003)
- The Cold War: A Military History by Stephen E. Ambrose, Caleb Carr, Thomas Fleming, and Victor Hanson (2006)
Screenwriter
Carr has written plays and movie screenplays, one of which, Bad Attitudes was made into a TV movie in 1991. He was one of the contributing screenwriters for the film prequel to The ExorcistThe Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
, released as Exorcist: The Beginning
Exorcist: The Beginning
Exorcist: The Beginning is a 2004 prequel to the 1973 film The Exorcist. This is the second version of the third Exorcist sequel. It was adapted by William Wisher Jr., Caleb Carr and Alexi Hawley, and directed by Renny Harlin...
, for which he received a shared story credit. He also received a shared screenplay credit on Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist is a 2005 supernatural horror film directed by Paul Schrader. It is a prequel to The Exorcist .-Plot:...
, which received high praise from William Peter Blatty
William Peter Blatty
William Peter Blatty is an American writer and filmmaker. The novel The Exorcist, written in 1971, is his magnum opus; he also penned the subsequent screenplay version of the film, for which he won an Academy Award....
(the author/screenwriter of The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
). In television, he appears on the PBS program American Experience as a guest commentator/narrator, such as on the episode of the NYC subway system, "New York Underground".
Teaching
Carr taught three semesters of military history at Bard CollegeBard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
as a Visiting Professor. He was also a close friend and confidant of historian James Chace
James Chace
James Clarke Chace was an eminent historian, writing on American diplomacy and statecraft. His 12 books include the critically acclaimed Acheson: The Secretary of State Who Created the American World , the definitive biography of former Secretary of State Dean Acheson. In a debate during the...
, with whom he collaborated on America Invulnerable: The Quest for Absolute Security from 1812 to Star Wars.