W. E. B. Griffin
William Edmund Butterworth III, widely known as W. E. B. Griffin, was an influential American author born on November 10, 1929, in Newark, New Jersey. His early life was spent in various cities including Boston, Philadelphia, and Manhattan, leading him to enlist in the United States Army after being expelled from school. Griffin served as a combat correspondent during the Korean War and later transitioned to a civilian role in military communications, all while nurturing his writing career. He became renowned for his military fiction, with notable series such as Brotherhood of War, The Corps, and Badge of Honor, which are celebrated for their strong storytelling and authentic portrayal of military life.
In addition to his military novels, Griffin wrote for young adults and created works under various pseudonyms, including Alex Baldwin. His literary contributions earned him numerous accolades, including honorary memberships in military organizations and a Doctorate in Military Fiction. By his passing in 2019, Griffin had authored over a hundred books, selling millions of copies worldwide and reaching diverse audiences through translations in multiple languages. His legacy as a storyteller and his impact on military fiction continue to resonate with readers and writers alike.
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W. E. B. Griffin
- Born: November 10, 1929
- Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey
- Died: February 12, 2019
- Place of death: Daphne, Alabama
Biography
William Edmund Butterworth III, better known as W. E. B. Griffin, was born on November 10, 1929, in Newark, New Jersey, the son of William Edmund Butterworth II and Gladys Schnable Butterworth. He was reared in Boston, Philadelphia, and Manhattan, and attended various public and private schools. After being expelled from the Newark Preparatory School in 1946, Griffin enlisted in the United States Army and was sent to Germany. After his discharge a year later, Griffin studied political science at Philip’s University in Marburg an der Lahn, Germany.
In 1950, Griffin married Emma Josefa Macalik, a ballet dancer. They had three children, Patricia Olga, William Edmund IV, and John Scholefield II. The marriage ended in divorce. In 1994, Griffin married Maria del Pilar Menendez. During the Korean War, he served as a combat correspondent with the rank of sergeant. After his discharge, Griffin became a civilian information officer for the United States Army at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Meanwhile, he began writing novels. In 1962, when his third novel was sold, he resigned from his government job and moved to Fairhope, Alabama.
In 1964, at the urging of a local librarian, Griffin wrote a nonfiction book for children, The Wonders of Astronomy. Forty percent of his books would be works aimed at young adults. However, Griffin became best known for his military works. Under the name of W. E. B. Griffin, he published several popular series, including Brotherhood of War, The Corps, and Badge of Honor. They had strong plots, featured interesting characters, and depicted military life with impressive accuracy. Another series, entitled Men at War, appeared under the name of Alex Baldwin, another of Griffin’s many pseudonyms. With Richard Hooker, Griffin also turned out several M*A*S*H books.
Griffin’s skill in capturing the interest of young readers was first recognized when The Wonders of Astronomy (1964) received the Author’s Award of the New Jersey Association of Teachers of English. Other honors followed. Orders to Vietnam (1968) was a Junior Literary Guild selection; Steve Bellamy (1970) was on the 1969 Child Study Association list; and in 1980, LeRoy and the Old Man (1980) was called one of the Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association (ALA). Griffin’s achievements as a military writer resulted in his being awarded honorary memberships in the Special Operations Association, the Marine Raider Association, and the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, which presented him with the Denig Award. In 1988, he was inducted into the Order of St. George of the United States Armor Association. He was also awarded an honorary Doctorate in Military Fiction by Norwich University.
In 1971, the Alabama Writers Conclave at Samford University cited Griffin as the Most Prolific Alabama Author of All Time. By the year 2005, he had more than a hundred books to his credit, several million copies had been sold, and his works had been translated into dozens of languages. However, in 1982, when Griffin became the first living writer to be inducted into the Alabama Academy of Distinguished Authors, the honor was given him not for the number of books he had written or sold but in recognition of his achievement as a consummate storyteller.
In 1994, Griffin began the Honor Bound series, set during World War II. Four novels in the series, Death and Honor (2008), The Honor of Spies (2009), Victory and Honor (2011), and Empire and Honor (2012), were cowritten with his son William E. Butterworth IV. His next series, The Presidential Agent, was influenced by contemporary counterterrorism efforts. The first book in the series, By Order of the President, was published in 2004; it was followed by seven further novels, including The Hostage (2006), The Shooters (2008), Black Ops (2009), and Hazardous Duty (2014). In 2014, Griffin published Top Secret, the first novel in the Clandestine Operations series. He published four other novels in the series between 2014 and 2018, including his last novel, The Enemy of My Enemy (2018).
On February 12, 2019, Griffin died at the age of eighty-nine from colorectal cancer.
Bibliography
Ringle, Ken. "Author, Author, Author, Author." The Washington Post, 7 Jan. 1997, www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1997/01/07/author-author-author-author/9337c9e3-77b9-4058-99f1-e8cd53e44949/. Accessed 7 July 2020.
Slotnik, Daniel E. "W.E.B. Griffin, 89, Dies; a Best-Selling Novelist Dozens of Times. The New York Times, 22 Feb. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/obituaries/web-griffin-dies.html. Accessed 7 July 2020.
W.E.B. Griffin: The Official Site, www.webgriffin.com/books.html. Accessed 7 July 2020.