William Manchester

William Manchester (April 1, 1922–June 1, 2004) was a historian and biographer, notable as the author of 18 books that have been translated into 20 languages.

Related Topics:
April 1 - 1922 - June 1 - 2004 - Historian - Biographer

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Manchester was the son of a WWI Marine, and grew up in Attleboro, Massachusetts. After his father's death, and the attack on Pearl Harbor, he likewise enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, though he was ordered back to college until called up. Although he expected to serve in Europe, Manchester ultimately found himself in the Pacific. He served on Guadalcanal after the Japanese defeat there, and experienced combat in the last major battle of the Pacific War, on Okinawa.

Related Topics:
WWI - Marine - Attleboro, Massachusetts - Attack on Pearl Harbor - Guadalcanal - Okinawa

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His wartime experiences formed the basis for his very personal account of the Pacific Theater, Goodbye, Darkness: A Memoir of the Pacific War. (He later wrote of WWII in a number of his other books, including his second of a planned three part biography of Winston Churchill, and a biography of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.)

Related Topics:
Pacific Theater - WWII - Winston Churchill - Douglas MacArthur

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He received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts in 1946 and a master's degree from the University of Missouri in 1947. He worked as a reporter for the Daily Oklahoman and The Baltimore Sun. He published his first book, a biography of H. L. Mencken, in 1951, then followed it up with a novel two years later.

Related Topics:
B.A. - University of Massachusetts - 1946 - Master's degree - University of Missouri - 1947 - Reporter - Daily Oklahoman - The Baltimore Sun - H. L. Mencken - 1951 - Novel

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In 1955 Manchester became an editor for Wesleyan University and spent the rest of his career there, later becoming an adjunct professor of history and writer-in-residence there.

Related Topics:
1955 - Editor - Wesleyan University - Adjunct professor - Writer-in-residence

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He remarked that the generation coming of age in the 1950s were "withdrawn, cautious, unimaginative, indifferent, unadventurous and silent," helping to cement the generational moniker Silent Generation.

Related Topics:
1950s - Silent Generation

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Following the death of his wife in 1998, Manchester suffered two strokes, and announced, to the disappointment of many of his readers, that he would not be able to complete the previously planned third volume of his three part biography of Churchill. According to this article Vol. III is likely to be published posthumously, being finished by writer Paul Reid, a feature writer of The Palm Beach Post.

Related Topics:
Stroke - Churchill - Paul Reid - The Palm Beach Post

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