Winston Churchill (novelist)
Encyclopedia
Winston Churchill was an American
novelist.
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, the son of Edward Spalding and Emma Bell (Blaine) Churchill. He attended Smith Academy
in Missouri and the United States Naval Academy
, where he graduated in 1894. At the Naval Academy, he was conspicuous alike in scholarship and in general student activities. He became an expert fencer and he organized at Annapolis the first eight-oared crew, of which he was for two years captain. After his graduation, he became an editor of the Army and Navy Journal. He resigned from the navy
to pursue a writing career. In 1895, he became managing editor of the Cosmopolitan Magazine, but in less than a year he retired that he might have more time for writing. While he would be most successful as a novelist, he was also a published poet
and essayist.
His first novel was The Celebrity (1898). (Mr. Keegan's Elopement was published in 1896 within a magazine. In 1903 it was republished as an illustrated hardback book.) Churchill's next novel—Richard Carvel
(1899)—was a phenomenon, selling as many as two million copies in a nation of only 76 million, and made Churchill rich. His next two novels, The Crisis
(1901) and The Crossing (1904), were also very successful.
Churchill's early novels were historical but his later works were set in contemporary America. He often sought to include his political ideas into his novels. Churchill wrote in the naturalist
style of literature, and some have called him the most influential of the American naturalists.
In 1898, a mansion designed by Charles Platt
was built for him in Cornish, New Hampshire
. In 1899, Churchill moved there and named it Harlakenden House. He became involved in the Cornish Art Colony
, and in politics, and was elected to the state legislature in 1903 and 1905. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor in 1906. In 1912, he was nominated as the Progressive
candidate for governor but did not win the election. He did not again seek office. In 1917, he toured the battlefields of World War I
and wrote about what he saw, his first non-fiction work.
Sometime after this move, he took up watercolors, and also became known for his landscapes. Some of his works are in the collections of the Hood Museum of Art
(part of Hopkins Center for the Arts
at Dartmouth College
) in Hanover, New Hampshire
, and the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
in Cornish, New Hampshire
.
In 1919, Churchill decided to stop writing and withdrew from public life. As a result of this he was gradually forgotten by the public. In 1940, The Uncharted Way, his first book in 20 years, was published. The book examined Churchill's thoughts on religion. He did not seek to publicize the book and it received little attention. Shortly before his death he said, "It is very difficult now for me to think of myself as a writer of novels, as all that seems to belong to another life."
Churchill died in Winter Park, Florida
in 1947. He is the great-grandfather of Albany, New York, journalist Chris Churchill.
(no known relation). It was the American Churchill who became famous earlier, and in the 1890s he was much better known than his British counterpart. The two are still occasionally confused, although the British Churchill wrote only one novel, Savrola, being better known for his popular histories
and journalism
.
Both Churchills had political careers, and were both noted amateur painters. The similarities extend to their tertiary education; both attended service colleges and briefly served simultaneously as officers in their respective countries' armed forces.
The British Churchill, upon becoming aware of the American Churchill's books, wrote to him suggesting that he would sign his own works "Winston S. Churchill", using his middle name (actually part of his surname
), "Spencer", to differentiate them. This suggestion was accepted, with the comment that the American Churchill would have done the same, had he any middle names.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist.
Biography
Churchill was born in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, the son of Edward Spalding and Emma Bell (Blaine) Churchill. He attended Smith Academy
Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School
Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School or "MICDS" is a secular, co-educational, private school for about 1,200 students in grades Junior Kindergarten through 12, separated into three different sections: JK-4th grade , 5th-8th grade , and 9th-12th grade . Its 100 acre campus is located...
in Missouri and the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, where he graduated in 1894. At the Naval Academy, he was conspicuous alike in scholarship and in general student activities. He became an expert fencer and he organized at Annapolis the first eight-oared crew, of which he was for two years captain. After his graduation, he became an editor of the Army and Navy Journal. He resigned from the navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to pursue a writing career. In 1895, he became managing editor of the Cosmopolitan Magazine, but in less than a year he retired that he might have more time for writing. While he would be most successful as a novelist, he was also a published poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and essayist.
His first novel was The Celebrity (1898). (Mr. Keegan's Elopement was published in 1896 within a magazine. In 1903 it was republished as an illustrated hardback book.) Churchill's next novel—Richard Carvel
Richard Carvel
Richard Carvel is a historical novel by the American novelist Winston Churchill. It was first published in 1899, and was exceptionally successful, selling around two million copies and making the author a rich man. The novel takes the form of the memoirs of an eighteenth-century gentleman, the...
(1899)—was a phenomenon, selling as many as two million copies in a nation of only 76 million, and made Churchill rich. His next two novels, The Crisis
The Crisis (novel)
The Crisis is an historical novel published in 1901 by the American novelist Winston Churchill.It is set in the years leading up to the first battles of the U.S. Civil War, mostly in the divided state of Missouri...
(1901) and The Crossing (1904), were also very successful.
Churchill's early novels were historical but his later works were set in contemporary America. He often sought to include his political ideas into his novels. Churchill wrote in the naturalist
Naturalism (literature)
Naturalism was a literary movement taking place from the 1880s to 1940s that used detailed realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping human character...
style of literature, and some have called him the most influential of the American naturalists.
In 1898, a mansion designed by Charles Platt
Charles A. Platt
Charles Adams Platt was a prominent artist, landscape gardener, landscape designer, and architect of the "American Renaissance" movement. His garden designs complemented his domestic architecture.-Early career:...
was built for him in Cornish, New Hampshire
Cornish, New Hampshire
Cornish is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,640 at the 2010 census. Cornish has three covered bridges. Each August, it is home to the Cornish Fair.-History:...
. In 1899, Churchill moved there and named it Harlakenden House. He became involved in the Cornish Art Colony
Cornish Art Colony
The Cornish Art Colony was a popular art colony centered in Cornish, New Hampshire from about 1895 through the years of World War I. Attracted by the natural beauty of the area, about 100 artists, sculptors, writers, designers, and politicians lived there either full time or during the summer...
, and in politics, and was elected to the state legislature in 1903 and 1905. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor in 1906. In 1912, he was nominated as the Progressive
Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
candidate for governor but did not win the election. He did not again seek office. In 1917, he toured the battlefields of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and wrote about what he saw, his first non-fiction work.
Sometime after this move, he took up watercolors, and also became known for his landscapes. Some of his works are in the collections of the Hood Museum of Art
Hood Museum of Art
The Hood Museum of Art is a museum in Hanover, New Hampshire, USA. Dating back to 1772, the museum is owned and operated by Dartmouth College and is connected to the Hopkins Center for the Arts. The current building, designed by Charles Willard Moore and Chad Flloyd, opened in the fall of 1985. It...
(part of Hopkins Center for the Arts
Hopkins Center for the Arts
Hopkins Center for the Creative and Performing Arts at Dartmouth College is located at 2 East Wheelock Street in Hanover, New Hampshire. The center, which was designed by Wallace K. Harrison and foreshadows his later design of Manhattan’s Lincoln Center, is the college’s cultural hub. It is home...
at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
) in Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2010 census. CNN and Money magazine rated Hanover the sixth best place to live in America in 2011, and the second best in 2007....
, and the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire, preserves the home, gardens, and studios of Augustus Saint-Gaudens , one of America's foremost sculptors. This was his summer residence from 1885 to 1897, his permanent home from 1900 until his death in 1907, and the center of the...
in Cornish, New Hampshire
Cornish, New Hampshire
Cornish is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,640 at the 2010 census. Cornish has three covered bridges. Each August, it is home to the Cornish Fair.-History:...
.
In 1919, Churchill decided to stop writing and withdrew from public life. As a result of this he was gradually forgotten by the public. In 1940, The Uncharted Way, his first book in 20 years, was published. The book examined Churchill's thoughts on religion. He did not seek to publicize the book and it received little attention. Shortly before his death he said, "It is very difficult now for me to think of myself as a writer of novels, as all that seems to belong to another life."
Churchill died in Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in 1947. He is the great-grandfather of Albany, New York, journalist Chris Churchill.
Confusion with the British statesman
Churchill met and occasionally communicated with the British statesman and author Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
(no known relation). It was the American Churchill who became famous earlier, and in the 1890s he was much better known than his British counterpart. The two are still occasionally confused, although the British Churchill wrote only one novel, Savrola, being better known for his popular histories
Winston Churchill as historian
The British statesman Winston Churchill was a prolific writer throughout his life, and many of his works were historical. His better-known works include: Marlborough: His Life and Times, The World Crisis , The Second World War, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature, and A History of the...
and journalism
Winston Churchill as writer
Winston Churchill was a prolific writer. Churchill received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his numerous published works, especially his six-volume work The Second World War. At the ceremony he was awarded the prize "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as...
.
Both Churchills had political careers, and were both noted amateur painters. The similarities extend to their tertiary education; both attended service colleges and briefly served simultaneously as officers in their respective countries' armed forces.
The British Churchill, upon becoming aware of the American Churchill's books, wrote to him suggesting that he would sign his own works "Winston S. Churchill", using his middle name (actually part of his surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
), "Spencer", to differentiate them. This suggestion was accepted, with the comment that the American Churchill would have done the same, had he any middle names.
Novels
- The CelebrityThe CelebrityThe Celebrity is a novel written by American author Winston Churchill. The novel is copyrighted 1897 by the MacMillan Company. The book is dedicated to Albert Shaw Ph.D.-Plot:...
(1898) - Richard CarvelRichard CarvelRichard Carvel is a historical novel by the American novelist Winston Churchill. It was first published in 1899, and was exceptionally successful, selling around two million copies and making the author a rich man. The novel takes the form of the memoirs of an eighteenth-century gentleman, the...
(1899) - The CrisisThe Crisis (novel)The Crisis is an historical novel published in 1901 by the American novelist Winston Churchill.It is set in the years leading up to the first battles of the U.S. Civil War, mostly in the divided state of Missouri...
(1901) - Mr. Keegan's Elopement (hardback book) (1903) - originally copyright (1896) when published in magazine format
- The Crossing (1904)
- Coniston (1906)
- Mr. Crewe's Career (1908)
- A Modern Chronicle (1910)
- The Inside of the Cup (1913)
- A Far CountryA Far Country (Winston Churchill)A Far Country is a novel by American writer Winston Churchill published in 1915.- Plot introduction:The book follows the career of Hugh Paret from youth to manhood, and how his profession as a corporation lawyer gradually changed his values....
(1915) - The Dwelling-Place of Light (1917)
- The Uncharted Way (1940)
Other writings
- Richard Carvel; Play produced on Broadway, (1900–1901)
- The Crisis; Play produced on Broadway, (1902)
- The Crossing; Play produced on Broadway, (1906)
- The Title Mart; Play produced on Broadway, (1906)
- A traveller in war-time; with an essay on the American contribution and the democratic idea (1918)
- Dr. Jonathan; A play in three acts (1919)
- The Psychology of the Gospel Doctrine
Further reading
- Charles Child Walcutt, The Romantic Compromise in the Novels of Winston Churchill (1951)
- Warren Irving Titus, Winston Churchill (1963)
- Ernest Erwin Leisy, The American Historical Novel (1950)
- Grant C. Knight, The Strenuous Age in American Literature (1954)
- Joseph L. Blotner, The Political Novel (1955)