Clifford Lindsey Alderman facts for kids
Clifford Lindsey Alderman (born August 5, 1902 – died June 14, 1988) was an American writer. He wrote both historical fiction (stories based on real history) and nonfiction (books about real events and people). He is especially known for his nonfiction books written for young adults.
About His Life
Clifford Lindsey Alderman was born in 1902 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was a direct descendant of two famous early American settlers, John Alden and Priscilla Alden. He also had two ancestors who fought in the American Revolution, the war where America became independent.
In 1924, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. He studied chemical engineering, which is about designing and working with chemicals and materials. He even did more advanced studies in this field at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
During World War II, he served in the navy at several colleges, including Columbia University and Holy Cross College. Later, he became a commander (a leader) of a school that trained military officers at Middlebury College in Vermont.
After the war, he started working as an editor, which means he checked and improved other people's writing. He also worked in public relations for businesses that moved goods around the world by ship. He and his wife, Mildred, lived most of their married life in Seaford, New York. He spent many hours doing research at the New York Public Library every week for his books. Cliff Alderman passed away in 1988 when he was 86 years old.
His Writing Career
Clifford Lindsey Alderman began writing when he was a student. He wrote historical novels and nonfiction books for both adults and young people. He always used his full name, Clifford Lindsey Alderman, on his books.
He strongly believed it was important to visit the places he wrote about in his books. Because of this, he and his wife, Mildred, traveled a lot. They visited their home region of New England many times. They also took research trips to Canada, England, Ireland, France, and the Caribbean. These trips helped him make his stories and facts more accurate and exciting for his readers.
Books He Wrote
Here are some of the books Clifford Lindsey Alderman wrote:
- The Arch of Stars (1950)
- To Fame Unknown (1954)
- Joseph Brant: Chief of the Six Nations (1958)
- The Silver Keys (1960)
- Samuel Adams: Son of Liberty (1961)
- Stormy Knight: The Life of Sir William Phip (1964)
- That Men Shall Be Free: The Story of the Magna Charta (1964)
- The Vengeance of Abel Wright (1964)
- Wooden Ships and Iron Men (1964)
- Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: The Story of the French Revolution (1965)
- The Privateers men (1965)
- The Way of the Eagles (1965)
- The Story of the Thirteen Colonies (1966)
- Retreat to Victory: The Life of Nathanael Greene (1967)
- The Devil's Shadow: The Story of Witchcraft in America (1967)
- Death to the King: The Story of the English Civil War (1968)
- Flame of Freedom: The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 (1969)
- The Great Invasion: The Norman Conquest of 1066 (1969)
- The Rhode Island Colony (1969)
- The Royal Opposition: The Story of the British Generals in the American Revolution (1970)
- Gathering Storm: The Story of the Green Mountain Boys (1970)
- Blood-Red the Roses: The Story of the Wars of the Roses (1971)
- A Cauldron of Witches: A Story of Witchcraft (1971)
- The Wearing of the Green: The Irish Rebellion, 1916-1921 (1971)
- The Golden Century: England Under the Tudors (1972)
- Rum, Slaves, and Molasses: The Story of New England's Triangular Trade (1972)
- Osceola and the Seminole Wars (1973)
- The War We Could Have Lost: The American Revolution (1974)
- Witchcraft in America (1974)
- Colonists for Sale: The Story of Indentured Servants in America (1975)
- The Dark Eagle: The Story of Benedict Arnold (1976)
- Symbols of Magic: Amulets and Talismans (1977)
- Annie Oakley and the World of Her Time (1979)
