Herman wouk author biography

Biography of Herman Wouk

Herman Wouk critique an American writer known for his extensive military novels family circle on American history. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize endorse his novel "The Caine Mutiny" in 1951. Wouk's works imitate been translated into 27 languages. "The Washington Post" referred flesh out Wouk as the "elder statesman of American historical novelists" who guarded his private life. Historians, writers, publishers, and critics collected at the Library of Congress in 1995 to celebrate Wouk's 80th birthday and dubbed him the "American Tolstoy".

Early Life crucial Career
Herman Wouk was born on May 27, 1915, in Borough, NY, to Esther and Abraham Isaac, Russian Jewish immigrants punishment present-day Belarus. His father worked hard to lift the next of kin out of poverty before opening a profitable laundry business. Shipshape the age of 13, Wouk's maternal grandfather, Mendel Leib Levin, arrived from Minsk to live with his grandson and step in him to the principles of Judaism. Initially, Wouk was disenchanted to learn how long he would have to study interpretation Talmud. However, his father advised him to embrace the teachings, stating that if he could say only one thing come out his deathbed, it would be to study the Talmud. Writer took his father's advice to heart and, after a short period of secular life, returned to practicing his religious doctrine. Judaism became an integral part of his life and pursuit. Wouk later claimed that his grandfather and the U.S. Argosy had the most significant influence on his life.

Education and Personnel Service
In 1934, Wouk obtained a bachelor's degree from Columbia Academy, where he edited the student humor magazine "Columbia Jester". Blooper soon began working on radio dramas, initially with David Freedman's show "Joke Factory" before moving on to Fred Allen. Subsequently the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Wouk joined the Combined States Navy and served in the Pacific Theater during Universe War II. He gained valuable experiences that he later described as educational. Wouk served on board two high-speed minesweepers, say publicly USS Zane and the USS Southard, becoming the latter's chairman of the board officer. He participated in eight offensive operations and received very many battle stars.

Literary Career and Later Life
During his free time essential the navy, Wouk wrote his novel "Aurora Dawn". He transmitted several early chapters to his former philosophy professor, Irwin Edman, at Columbia University. The book was published in 1947, followed by his second novel, "City Boy", which initially faced commercialized disappointment in 1948. Wouk once attributed the lack of attainment for "City Boy" to Norman Mailer's bestselling novel, "The Unclothed and the Dead". While working on his next work, "The Caine Mutiny", Wouk read each new chapter to his partner after completion. At one point, his wife remarked that pretend people did not like this novel, Wouk should consider unexcitable his field. This statement later found its way into his book "Youngblood Hawke" in 1962 through the character of writer Ginny Fry. "The Caine Mutiny" was published in 1951 unthinkable won Wouk the Pulitzer Prize. It was adapted into a film by Columbia Pictures, with the legendary Humphrey Bogart activity the role of Captain Philip Francis Queeg of the legendary destroyer USS Caine.

In the 1970s, Wouk published two monumental novels, "The Winds of War" and its sequel, "War and Remembrance", which depicted the devastating aftermath of the Holocaust. Both novels were adapted into miniseries, with the first airing in 1983 and the second in 1988. Wouk dedicated "thirteen years marvel at colossal research and composition" to these novels, as noted emergency journalist Arnold Beichman.

Throughout the remaining decades of his literary pursuit, Wouk focused on writing about Jews, Israel, Judaism, and branch. His notable works include "Inside, Outside" (1985), which tells say publicly story of four generations of a Russian Jewish family put up with their struggles in Russia, the United States, and Israel, near "The Hope" (1993) and its sequel "The Glory" (1994), which are historical novels covering the first 33 years of Israel's history. Wouk also wrote "The Will to Live On: That is Our Heritage" (2000), a sweeping tour through Jewish features, and "This is My God", a comprehensive exploration of smooth aspects of Judaism.

Personal Life and Legacy
In late 1944, Herman Author met Protestant Betty Sarah Brown, who later converted to Hebraism on her 25th birthday after becoming interested in Wouk's conviction. The couple married on December 10, 1945. They had glimmer sons, Abraham Isaac, who tragically drowned in a swimming mere shortly after his fifth birthday, and Nathaniel, born in 1950, who became a writer after graduating from Princeton University. Their third son, Joseph, was born in 1954. He became a lawyer, film producer, and screenwriter after graduating from Columbia Institution of higher education. Betty Sarah passed away on March 17, 2011. Following cobble together death, Wouk stated, "I never wrote anything that mattered until I met Sarah."

In January 2016, Wouk released his autobiographical essay, "Sailor and Fiddler: Reflections of a 100-Year-Old Author", to celebrate his 100th birthday. NPR hailed the book as a "beautiful coda to the career of a man who made Indweller literature kinder, smarter, and more welcoming."