Evelyn Waugh English satirist Date of Birth: 28.10.1903 Country: Great Britain

1. Evelyn Waugh - Biography
2. Early Life and Education
3. Literary Career
4. World War II and Later Works
5. Later Life and Death

Evelyn Waugh - Biography

Evelyn Arthur St. John Waugh, an English satirical writer, is considered one of the most renowned authors of the 20th century. Known for his sharp wit and psychological insight, he is the author of universally recognized masterpieces.

Early Life and Education

Evelyn Waugh was born on October 28, 1903, in London. His father, Arthur Waugh, was an essayist and publisher, while his older brother, Alec Waugh, was a prolific writer of travel essays. After completing his education at Oxford University, Waugh began teaching at two private schools.

Literary Career

During his time working on his second novel, "Vile Bodies" (1930), Waugh converted to Catholicism. In commemoration of his conversion, he later wrote a biography titled "Edmund Campion, Jesuit and Martyr" (1935). In the 1930s, Waugh embarked on extensive travels throughout Europe, Africa, and Central America, which inspired a series of travel memoirs and humorous novels, including "Labels" (1930), "Remote People" (1932), "Ninety Two Days" (1934), "Waugh in Abyssinia" (1935), "Black Mischief" (1932), "A Handful of Dust" (1934), and "Scoop" (1938). These works explored the divide between civilization and barbarism.

World War II and Later Works

During World War II, Waugh served in the Royal Marines and the Special Boat Service, attaining the rank of captain. He participated in special missions in Yugoslavia. The war inspired one of his funniest novels, "Put Out More Flags" (1942), and formed the basis for his most Catholic work, the "Sword of Honour" trilogy, consisting of "Men at Arms" (1952), "Officers and Gentlemen" (1955), and "The End of The Battle" (1962). After the war, Waugh wrote "The Loved One" (1948), a scathing and bleak depiction of Hollywood life, and the political satire "Scott-King's Modern Europe" (1949), as well as "The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold" (1957). In works such as "Brideshead Revisited" (1945), a story about the decline of a Catholic aristocratic family, "Helena" (1950), a fictional biography of Emperor Constantine's mother, and "The Life of Ronald Knox" (1959), Waugh's Catholicism is particularly evident.

Later Life and Death

Shortly before his death, Waugh completed the first volume of his autobiography, "A Little Learning" (1964). He passed away on April 10, 1966, at his home in Taunton, Somerset.