author

Henry Walcott Boynton

1869–1947

A sharp-eyed American critic and literary historian, he wrote lively studies of major writers and helped shape book culture in the early 20th century. His work moves easily between biography, criticism, and the history of publishing.

2 Audiobooks

Washington Irving

Washington Irving

by Henry Walcott Boynton

The Golfer's Rubaiyat

The Golfer's Rubaiyat

by Henry Walcott Boynton

About the author

Born in 1869, Henry Walcott Boynton was an American critic, teacher, and author. Reliable sources located for this entry identify him as Connecticut-born, educated at Amherst College, and active as an English teacher at Phillips Academy in Andover from 1892 to 1901.

He became well known as a literary reviewer and critic, writing for major publications including The Atlantic Monthly, The Nation, the New York Evening Post, and later The Bookman. His writing combined close reading with an interest in the wider world of books, which also led him to produce works on literary history and publishing.

Boynton wrote studies of authors such as Washington Irving and also published Annals of American Bookselling, 1638-1850, a substantial contribution to the history of the American book trade. He died in 1947, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both a critic’s eye and a deep affection for literature.