F. Van Wyck Mason
F. Van Wyck Mason (1901-1978) was an American author and World War I veteran known for his contributions to the mystery and historical fiction genres. Born into a prominent Boston family, Mason spent his early years in Europe, where he experienced a cosmopolitan upbringing. At the age of sixteen, he served as an ambulance driver during World War I before enlisting in the French army, eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant in the U.S. Army. After the war, he pursued a career in writing, publishing numerous mystery stories and novels, with his first major work being "The Seeds of Murder" in 1930, which featured the character Captain Hugh North, an early archetype of the modern spy.
Mason later shifted his focus to historical novels, achieving popularity with works like "Stars on the Sea." A dedicated military man, he re-enlisted during World War II and served on General Eisenhower's staff. His literary career spanned several decades, producing works for both adult and youth audiences, and he continued to write until his passing. Mason's life ended tragically when he drowned off the coast of Bermuda, leaving behind a legacy of rich storytelling that encompassed both adventure and history.
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Subject Terms
F. Van Wyck Mason
Writer
- Born: November 11, 1901
- Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
- Died: August 28, 1978
- Place of death: Bermuda
Biography
Francis Van Wyck Mason was born November 11, 1901, in Boston, Massachusetts, into a wealthy and prominent family that had come to America in the seventeenth century. The young Mason grew up in a cosmopolitan environment: until the age of eight, he lived in Berlin, Germany, and in Paris, France, where his grandfather (Frank. H. Mason, died 1916) served as U.S. consul general in 1906. After returning to the United States, Mason lived for a few years in Illinois, then again voyaged in 1917 to Europe where, just sixteen years old, he (like Hemingway) served as an ambulance driver during World War I. Wanting more action, he thereafter enlisted in the French army and became a decorated artillery officer. By the end of the conflict, he had joined the U.S. Army and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
After the war, Mason earned a B.S. at Harvard (1924) and groomed himself for the diplomatic corps. However, when his father died, he established an importing business in New York City and for three years traveled the world from Russia to Africa to Central America in search of rugs and antiques.
In 1927, Mason married socialite Dorothy L. Macready. While waiting for the birth of their first son, he began writing for the pulps and published eighteen consecutive mystery, suspense, and historical stories without a rejection. In 1930, he released his first novel, The Seeds of Murder, which introduced his series character, Captain Hugh North, an Army Intelligence investigator/spy and womanizer who was an early model for James Bond-type secret agents.
By 1931, when Mason and his family had settled in Baltimore, Maryland, he had become a full-time freelance writer. He soon published his first historical novel, Captain Nemesis (1931), but shortly returned to the more popular mystery/intrigue genre, producing more than ten full-length works—most of them dealing with Captain North—over the next seven years; in one, he anticipated a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.
In 1938, Mason returned to the historical novel with the publication of Three Harbours, a story about the American Revolution. The book sold well, and Mason—though he continued to add to the Hugh North canon until the late 1960’s—switched his emphasis to historical novels. His Stars on the Sea was a top ten best seller in 1940.
At the outbreak of World War II, Mason re-enlisted for military service. He served on General Eisenhower’s staff and rose to the rank of colonel. During the war, he wrote stories for the youth market (as Frank W. Mason) and a few pulp tales under the pseudonym Ward Weaver.
Following the war, Mason produced a number of works for both youth (The Winter at Valley Forge, 1953) and adult (Cutlass Empire, 1949) markets, primarily dealing with historical subjects. During the 1950’s, he moved to Bermuda. When his wife died in 1958, he married his long-time secretary, Jean-Louis Hand. Mason drowned off the coast of Bermuda on August 28, 1978. His last novel, Armored Giants (concerning the Civil War battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack) was published posthumously in 1980.