Walter D. Edmonds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Walter Dumaux Edmonds
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | July 15, 1903 |
| Died | January 24, 1998 (aged 94) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard |
| Known for | writing |
Walter "Wat" Dumaux Edmonds (July 15, 1903 – January 24, 1998) was an American writer. He was famous for writing historical novels, which are stories set in the past. One of his most well-known books, Drums Along the Mohawk (published in 1936), was even made into a movie in 1939. This film was directed by John Ford and starred famous actors like Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert.
Contents
Who Was Walter Edmonds?
Walter Edmonds was born in Boonville, New York, on July 15, 1903. When he was a teenager, he went to The Choate School in Connecticut. At first, he thought about studying chemical engineering. But he soon found that he loved writing much more! He even became the managing editor for his school's Literary Magazine.
After high school, Walter went to Harvard. He continued to write there and was an editor for The Harvard Advocate, a student magazine. He graduated from Harvard in 1926. In 1930, he married Eleanor Stetson.
His First Books and Big Success
Walter Edmonds published his first novel, Rome Haul, in 1929. This book was about life on the Erie Canal, a famous waterway in New York. This novel was so popular that it was turned into a play and a movie called The Farmer Takes a Wife.
His book Drums Along the Mohawk became a huge success. It was on the bestseller list for two years! For some of that time, it was the second most popular book, right after Margaret Mitchell's very famous novel Gone with the Wind.
Awards and Later Life
Walter Edmonds wrote a total of 34 books during his life. Many of these books were written especially for children and young people. He also wrote many stories for magazines.
He won several important awards for his writing:
- In 1942, he won the Newbery Medal for his book The Matchlock Gun. This award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
- In 1960, he received the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award.
- In 1976, he won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature for his book Bert Breen's Barn.
Sadly, Walter's first wife, Eleanor, passed away in 1956. He later married Katherine Howe Baker Carr, who died in 1989. Walter Edmonds lived a long life and passed away in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1998.
What Did Walter Edmonds Write?
Walter Edmonds wrote many different kinds of books. He was especially known for his historical novels, which bring the past to life.
Novels for All Ages
- Rome Haul (1929)
- The Big Barn (1930)
- Erie Water (1933)
- Drums Along the Mohawk (1936)
- Chad Hanna (1940)
- Young Ames (1942)
- Two Logs Crossing: John Haskell's Story (1943)
- The Wedding Journey (1947)
- The Boyds of Black River (1953)
- Wolf Hunt (1970)
Books for Young Readers
- The Matchlock Gun (1941)
- Tom Whipple (1942)
- Cadmus Henry (1949)
- Time to Go House (1969)
- Bert Breen's Barn (1975)
Other Works
Walter Edmonds also wrote an autobiographical novel, which is a story about his own life, called The South African Quirt (1985). He also published collections of short stories and non-fiction books about history.
- In the Hands of the Senecas (1947) - Short stories
- Seven American Stories (1970) - Short stories
- The Night Raider and Other Stories (1980) - Short stories
- Mostly Canallers (1987) - Short stories
- They Fought with What They Had: The Story of the Army Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific, 1941-1942 (1951) - Non-fiction
- The Musket and the Cross: The Struggle of France and England for North America (1968) - Non-fiction
- Tales My Father Never Told (1995) - Non-fiction
Some of his novels, like Rome Haul and Drums Along the Mohawk, were even published as special Armed Services Editions during World War II. This meant soldiers fighting in the war could read them easily.
