W. E. Woodward

William E. Woodward was an American author best known for his biographies that reassessed historical figures. He coined the word "debunk".

Biography

William E. Woodward was born in Ridge Spring, South Carolina, on October 2, 1874. His parents, Thomas J. Woodward and Etta Gunter Woodward, were farmers. William attended the South Carolina Military Academy. After graduation, he worked as a reporter and publicist before writing his first book, which was published in 1923.[1] Woodward's first publications were novels, but he shifted toward biography as his career progressed. He coined the term "debunk" in his first novel.[2] His 1933 work Evelyn Prentice was adapted into a 1934 film.[3]

As an author, Woodward became known for histories that aimed to expose inadequacies in historical figures who were generally idolized. Some of his primary targets included George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant.[4]

Personal life and death

Woodward married Helen Rosen in 1913. He died on September 27, 1950, in Augusta, Georgia.[1]

Bibliography

• Bunk (1923)[5]
• Lottery (1924)[5]
• Bread and Circuses (1925)[5]
• Washington: The Image and the Man (1926)[5]
• Meet General Grant (1928)[5]
• Evelyn Prentice (1933)[5]
• A New American History (1936)[5]
• The Way Our People Lived (1944)[5]
• Tom Paine: America's Godfather (1945)[5]
• The Gift of Life (1947)[5]
• Years of Madness (1951)[5]

Notes

1. "W.E. Woodward, Biographer, Dies; Developed Candid Technique in Works on Washington and Grant--Coined 'Debunk' First Book at Age of 46 Held Wall Street Post Success Due to Luck". The New York Times. 1950-09-30. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
2. Kunitz & Haycraft 1942, p. 1547.
3. McGowan, John J. (2005-01-01). J.P. McGowan: Biography of a Hollywood Pioneer. McFarland. p. 185. ISBN 978-0-7864-1994-4.
4. Brackman 1983, p. 403.
5. Hart, James D., ed. (1995). "Woodward, W[illiam] E." The Oxford Companion to American Literature.

References

• Brackman, Harold (1983). ""Biography Yanked down out of Olympus": Beard, Woodward, and Debunking Biography". Pacific Historical Review. 52 (4): 403–427. doi:10.2307/3639074. ISSN 0030-8684.
• Kunitz, Stanley; Haycraft, Howard (1942). Twentieth century authors, a biographical dictionary of modern literature. The H.W. Wilson Company.
• Leland, Marion (1929-01-06). "Wearies of Debunking Game". Brooklyn Eagle. p. 5. Retrieved 2025-01-18 – via Newspapers.com.