A short life of the author
Winston Churchill (1871–1947) was an American novelist from St. Louis who was one of the most popular writers in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century — and who shared his name, to mutual inconvenience, with the future British Prime Minister. The two men corresponded about the problem; the American was famous first and the Briton initially added “Spencer” to his byline to avoid confusion.
Major Works
Richard Carvel (1899, Macmillan) — a historical novel set during the American Revolution that was one of the bestselling books of 1899.
The Crisis (1901, Macmillan) — set in Civil War-era St. Louis, and the bestselling novel in America in 1901.
The Crossing (1904) and Coniston (1906) continued his run of historical bestsellers. He also wrote progressive-era political novels and ran unsuccessfully for governor of New Hampshire.
Churchill largely stopped writing after 1917 and spent his later years in obscurity in Cornish, New Hampshire.
Collecting Churchill (American)
First editions of Richard Carvel (1899) and The Crisis (1901) by Macmillan are affordable at $30–$100 due to large original printings. Collectors must distinguish this Churchill from his more famous British namesake — catalogue descriptions typically specify “American novelist.”