Hawthorne Daniel

Born in Norfolk, Nebraska, on January 20, 1890, Hawthorne Daniel was the pen name of Lucien Hawthorne Daniel. He studied at the U.S. Naval Academy and later at Iowa State, Columbia, and New York University before beginning work as a reporter for the Omaha Bee.

Daniel went on to build a remarkably varied writing career. He worked as an editor for Boys' Life, Natural History, and The Pathfinder, and wrote dozens of books ranging from maritime history and biography to fiction, travel, and war. Among his best-known works is For Want of a Nail, a study of how logistics can shape the outcome of military campaigns.

He died in Lynchburg, Virginia, on January 2, 1981. What makes his work appealing today is its range: whether he was writing about ships, exploration, or conflict, he had a gift for turning careful research into lively storytelling.