Harold Sinclair (novelist)
Harold Sinclair (1907-1966) was an Illinois writer who produced several historical novels, including some about settler life in the Midwest. He was also a jazz artist, and wrote about music and New Orleans. He was born on May 8, 1907, in Chicago.[1] At the age of eight he moved to Bloomington, Illinois. He dropped out of high school and traveled around the country, but eventually returned to live in Bloomington.[2] While working in a hardware store in Chicago, he wrote his first book (Journey Home, 1936).[3] The New York Times published a lengthy review of his second novel, American Years, in 1938.[4] It was the first of a trilogy about the town of Everton, Illinois, a fictional name for Bloomington. His most well-known book, The Horse Soldiers (1956), was adapted and made into a film of the same name, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and William Holden.[5] Shortly before his death, Sinclair signed an option to have the sequel, The Cavalryman, made into a television series. (It was never produced.) He passed away on May 24, 1966, in Bloomington.[3]
Bibliography
[edit]- Journey Home, 1936
- Westward the Tide, 1940
- The Port of New Orleans, 1942
- Music out of Dixie, 1953
- Mrs. Ives of Illinois
- Daily Pantagraph, 1846-1946
Everton Trilogy
[edit]- American Years, 1938
- Years of Growth, 1940
- Years of Illusion, 1941
About Benjamin Grierson
[edit]- The Horse Soldiers, 1956
- The Cavalryman, 1958
About Harold Sinclair
[edit]- Harold Sinclair of Illinois: Letters, Biography, Gary Heath, AuthorHouse, 2007
References
[edit]- ^ Ehrlich, Eugene and Gorton Carruth (1982). The Oxford Illustrated Literary Guide to the United States. New York: Oxford University Press.
- ^ "Harold Sinclair". Goodreads. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ a b Obituary. New York Times. 25 May 1966. p. 47.
- ^ Young, Stanley (5 June 1938). A Rich Panorama of Pioneering. New York Times. p. 90.
- ^ Schenker, Charlie (7 December 2021). "McHistory: Noted author Harold Sinclair of Bloomington". WGLT.org. Illinois State University. Retrieved 12 August 2024.