Leon Uris: My Favorite, Great American Novelist
Born in Baltimore, Maryland on August 3, 1924 asLeon Marcus Uris; he spent the greater part of his adult life writing one blockbuster novel after another, many of which were turned into movies.
Mr. Uris enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1942, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where he served as a combat radio operator until the end of the war. It was from these experiences that he received the inspiration for his first great novel Battle Cry, which was soon followed by The Angry Hills; which was revolved around war-time Greece.
In his writing career Leon Uris wrote as a correspondent for newspapers covering the Sinai Campaign. It was at this time that Mr. Uris gained the knowledge and background for his international best seller Exodus, which was made into a movie, starring Paul Newman. He then went on to write many more novels, and a screenplay Gunfight at the O.K. Corral which starred Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas.
Though there are many novelists that I try never to miss reading their works, Leon Uris became one of my favorite novelists after I read Exodus. It was a novel of Jewish refugees from a British detention camp in Cyprus, willing to risk everything to get to their homeland of Palestine. Shortly after reading Exodus, I read QB VII. This novel kept me spellbound from the first page to the last; and it was not until after finishing the book did I realize how closely it was tied to Exodus.
Leon Uris is thrillingly artistic in his capabilities as a writer. His works have the ability to take his readers to places they have never been before, and to have experiences that the average person could never hope to have. It is for this reason that Mr. Uris tops my list of favorite novelists. He was known to put a lot of research into his novels. In fact, Mr. Uris once said, "Research to me is as important, or more important, than the writing. It is the foundation upon which the book is built."
Leon Marcus Uris died at his Staten Island home on Shelter Island. He was 78 years old. His last novel, O'Hara's Choice was published shortly after his death. This novel's setting takes place shortly after the American Civil War, and was written with the same dramatic style as all of his previous novels.
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Published by Kathi Downs
I am the wife and mother of three grown sons; and I have 6 precious grandchildren, 3 boys and 3 girls. Reading and writing has always been a passion of mine. View profile
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1 Comments
Post a CommentI served in the Marine Corps from 1970-91. In 1980-81 I was the NCOIC of the Marine Security Guard Det in Khartoum Sudan and my Marines and I met, and hosted, Mr & Mrs Uris while they were there. IK told Leon that "Battlecry" was a primary reason for my enlisting in the Corps. They were pleased with ou hospitality and reciprocated generously. The day that they left Khartoum, Leon asked me if there was anything that he could do for me, personally. I said that if he could to make a dedication for me in a subsequent book. "The Haj" is dedicated to "Mark". I wonder if I am that Mark? Captain Mark A. Conroy, USMC (Ret)