Origins & Early Life

Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires Decline and Fall (1928) and A Handful of Dust (1934), the novel Brideshead Revisited (1945), and the Second World War trilogy Sword of Honour (1952–1961). He is recognised as one of the great prose stylists of the English language in the 20th century.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Waugh, the son of a publisher, was educated at Lancing College and then at Hertford College, Oxford. He worked briefly as a schoolmaster before he became a full-time writer. As a young man, he acquired many fashionable and aristocratic friends and developed a taste for country house society. He travelled extensively in the 1930s, often as a special newspaper correspondent; he reported from Abyssinia at the time of the 1935 Italian invasion. Waugh served in the British armed forces throughout the Second World War, first in the Royal Marines and then in the Royal Horse Guards.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He was a perceptive writer who used the experiences and the wide range of people whom he encountered in his works of fiction, generally to...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Anaïs Nin — Contemporary (Born in 1903) (1903): Pioneering diarist and author whose intimate writings explored sexuality and the subconscious.
• A. R. Rahman — Contemporary (Born in 1966) (1966): Visionary Indian composer celebrated for blending global sounds with cinematic emotion.
• Abe Saperstein — Contemporary (Died in 1966) (1966): Founder of the Harlem Globetrotters, revolutionized black basketball.
• Adam Sandler — Contemporary (Born in 1966) (1966): Acclaimed comedian and actor known for his prolific career in Hollywood comedy.
• Bernadette Lafont — Shared historical date (10-28 · Born) (1938): Iconic French actress, celebrated for her role in the New Wave movement.
• Bernhard von Bülow — Shared historical date (10-28 · Died) (1929): German statesman and Imperial Chancellor, pivotal figure in early 20th-century German politics.
• Ali Sayad Shirazi — Shared historical date (04-10 · Died) (1999): Key Iranian military commander during the Iran-Iraq War, assassinated in 1999.
• Aliko Dangote — Shared historical date (04-10 · Born) (1957): Nigerian billionaire founder of Dangote Group, a major industrial conglomerate.
• 1903 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1903
• October 28 (10-28) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 28
• 1966 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1966
• April 10 (04-10) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on April 10