Ben Ames Williams (1889-1953) was a popular American novelist who published more than 30 books and numerous short stories and magazine articles. Born in Mississippi and raised in Ohio, Williams spent most of his writing career living in Massachusetts, and then Maine.
The majority of Williams’ works, while being set in the outdoors, were not outdoor sporting related. During a fishing excursion to the small town of Searsmont, Maine in 1918, Williams met Bert McCorrison, a poor farmer who was rich in knowledge and experience. Bert heavily influenced Williams’ career both as a writer and an outdoorsman. From his experiences in Searsmont, Williams began writing stories about the fictional town of Fraternity, Maine. In all, about 125 Fraternity stories were published, and several of Williams’ novels were set in Fraternity. Most of the Fraternity stories were either hunting, fishing or farming related, and I believe these stories would garner great interest from fans of outdoor sporting literature.
The following links provide more info on Williams.
Full biography of Ben Ames Williams from “Mississippi Writers and Musicians”
My Article on Ben Ames Williams and Fraternity Village
Sporting-related works of Ben Ames Williams:
Fraternity Village (1949)
Letters From Fraternity (A.L. McCorrison, 1931)
Other Ben Ames Williams works:
The Sea Bride (1919)
All the Brothers Were Valiant (1919)
The Great Accident (1920)
Evered (1921)
Black Pawl (1922)
Thrifty Stock and Other Stories (1923)
Audacity (1924)
The Rational Hind (1925)
The Silver Forest (1926)
Immortal Longings (1927)
Splendor (1927)
The Dreadful Night (1928)
Great Oaks (1930)
An End to Mirth (1931)
Letters from Fraternity (1931)
Pirate’s Purchase (1931)
Honeyflow (1932)
Money Musk (1932)
Mischief (1933)
Pascal’s Mill (1933)
Hostile Valley (1934)
Small Town Girl (1935)
Crucible (1937)
It’s A Free Country (1937)
The Strumpet Sea (1938)
Thread of Sea (1939)
Come Spring (1940)
The Strange Woman (1940)
Time of Peace: September 26, 1930 – December 7, 1941 (1942)
Amateurs at War: The American Soldier in Action (1943)
Leave Her To Heaven (1944; his most well known novel)
House Divided (1947)
The Diary From Dixie (1949; written by Mary Boykin Chesnut, but edited by Ben Ames Williams)
Owen Glen (1950)
The Unconquered (1953)
The Happy End (1991)
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