Who is Washington Irving?
Washington Irving was an American author of the 19th century, best remembered for his short stories “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle,” both published in 1819. He also wrote essays, biographies, and historical works, in addition to working as a lawyer and a diplomat to England and Spain. Washington Irving was one of the first American authors to gain critical acclaim abroad, and he was an influence on later American authors including Hawthorne and Poe. Washington Irving was born in Manhattan, New York on 3 April 1783 to William Irving, a Scotsman and officer in the Royal Navy, and his wife Sara. The youngest of eight children, he was named after George Washington, whom his parents greatly admired. Washington Irving wrote his first book, a satirical history of New York City, in 1809 under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker. At the age of 32, he began his first diplomatic post abroad, in England, but he also had time to travel the continent. He enjoyed reading German an
Tales of Sleepy Hollow Headless Horseman and Rip Van Winkle Tales from the Alhambra The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus The Life of George Washington A Tour on the Prairies Prince of Birds, Adapted from an Irving Story Three Western Narratives, A Tour is one of the Three The Original Knickerbocker, Washington Irving Biography An Exemplary American An 1832 Super Star Author Ambassador to Spain Friend Extraordinary to All, Great and Common A 2007 Star Author 95 Books in the Tulsa City-County Libraries A Friend to his Fellow Travelers And those travelers were an excitable, teenager, Count Albert Alexandre de Pourtals, a brilliant Renaissance Man, Charles Joseph Latrobe, and a nearly perfect Commissioner to the Indians, Henry Leavitt Ellsworth.
