Allan Wesley Eckert (January 30, 1931 – July 7, 2011) was an American novelist and playwright who specialized in historical novels for adults and children, and was also a naturalist. His novel ''

Incident at Hawk's Hill ''Incident at Hawk's Hill'' is a Newbery Honor book by naturalist and writer Allan W. Eckert published in 1971. Supposedly based on a true event, it is a historical novel centering on a six-year-old boy who gets lost on the Canadian prairie and ...

'' (1971) was initially marketed to adults and selected by

Reader's Digest Condensed Books ''Reader's Digest Condensed Books'' was a series of hardcover anthology collections, published by the American general interest monthly family magazine '' Reader's Digest'' and distributed by direct mail. Most volumes contained five (although a ...

. A runner-up for the

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished cont ...

, it was afterward marketed as a children's novel and adapted by Disney for a television movie known as ''

The Boy Who Talked to Badgers ''The Boy Who Talked to Badgers'' is a 1975 American made-for-television adventure film directed by Gary Nelson, starring Christian Juttner and Carl Betz. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the novel '' Incident at Hawk's H ...

'' (1975). Eckert wrote several books of natural history. In addition, he wrote more than 225 episodes of '' Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom'', for which he received an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

. His numerous historical novels were popular, including several that were part of his series "The Winning of America". In 1996, one of them was adapted for the stage as ''1913: The Great Dayton Flood'' and premiered at

Wright State University Wright State University is a public research university in Fairborn, Ohio. Originally opened in 1964 as a branch campus of Miami University and Ohio State University, it became an independent institution in 1967 and was named in honor of aviation ...

, also being produced at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

in Washington, DC. He wrote the drama ''Tecumseh'' for an outdoor production at Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre near

Chillicothe, Ohio Chillicothe ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Scioto River 45 miles (72 km) south of Columbus, Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio. It is the only city in Ross Coun ...

that has been a destination for tourists every summer since 1973.

Biography

Eckert was born in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

, in 1931, and raised in the

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

area. He attended college near

Bellefontaine, Ohio Bellefontaine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Ohio, Logan County, Ohio, United States, located 48 miles (77 km) northwest of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. The population was 13,370 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 Cens ...

, and remained a longtime resident there. As a young man, he hitchhiked around the United States, living off the land and learning about wildlife. He began writing about nature and American history at the age of thirteen. He eventually wrote numerous books for children and adults. His children's novel, ''

'', was a runner-up for the

in 1972. One of his novels tells how the

great auk The great auk (''Pinguinus impennis'') is a species of flightless alcid that became extinct in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus ''Pinguinus''. It is not closely related to the birds now known as penguins, wh ...

became extinct. Eckert published numerous novels of the Ohio Country frontier in what was called his "The Winning of America" series, including accounts of frontiersmen and notable Native Americans, such as

Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands. A persuasive orator, Tecumseh traveled widely, forming a Native American confederacy and ...

. He conducted extensive research for his works, but inserted fictional dialogue for his historical figures. Eckert also wrote several unproduced screenplays. He wrote more than 225 episodes of '' Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom'', for which he received an

. In a 1999 poll conducted by the Ohioana Library Association, Eckert shared with

Toni Morrison Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, '' The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed '' S ...

the accolade of "Favorite Ohio Writer of All Time." Eckert died in his sleep on July 7, 2011, in

Corona, California Corona ( Spanish for "Crown") is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 157,136, up from 152,374 at the 2010 census. The cities of Norco and Riverside lie to the north and no ...

, at the age of 80.

Dramatizations and adaptations

Eckert wrote the outdoor drama ''Tecumseh!'' which, in 1997, celebrated its 25th year of production at the multi-million-dollar Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheater near

. His 1968 children's novel ''Blue Jacket'' was adapted as a drama of the same name designed for outdoor performances. It opened in 1982 at a facility outside

Xenia, Ohio Xenia ( ) is a city in southwestern Ohio and the county seat of Greene County, Ohio, United States. It is east of Dayton and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area, as well as the Miami Valley region. The name comes from the Gree ...

. The production eventually closed due to financial difficulties, but it was estimated to have generated more than nine million dollars yearly into the local economy of southwest Ohio. Eckert's 1965 book ''A Time of Terror: The Great Dayton Flood'' was in 1996 adapted for the stage as ''1913: The Great Dayton Flood'' by W. Stuart McDowell and Timothy Nevits. It was performed at

, featuring recorded narration by actors

Martin Sheen Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. He first became known for his roles in the films ''The Subject Was Roses'' (1968) and ''Badlands'' (1973), and later achieved wid ...

Ossie Davis Raiford Chatman "Ossie" Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, until his death. He and his wife were named to the NAACP ...

and

Ruby Dee Ruby Dee (October 27, 1922 – June 11, 2014) was an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist. She originated the role of "Ruth Younger" in the stage and film versions of '' A Raisin in the Sun'' (1 ...

. The production won a number of awards from the

American College Theatre Festival The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theatre program dedicated to the improvement of collegiate theatre in the United States. Focused on the celebration of diverse and exciting theatre, KCACTF involves student ...

XXIX at the Riffe Center, Columbus, Ohio. It opened the 1997 festival in the

, returning to Dayton that fall, where it played in the Victoria Theatre.

Criticism

While Eckert emphasized the historical basis of his books and stressed the years of research he conducted, he created dialogue and internal thought for his ostensibly historic figures. Reviewers have described his work as "an entertaining blend of fact and fiction."

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

review (1992) of ''A Sorrow in Our Heart: The Life of Tecumseh''. What Eckert described as "narrative biography” was criticized by Kirkus Reviews as “an apparent euphemism for poetic license”, when discussing his book about Tecumseh.Review of ''A Sorrow in Our Heart: The Life of Tecumseh'' (1991),

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

''A Sorrow in Our Heart: The Life of Tecumseh'' was described as "A biography that succeeds better as fiction". The reviewer said that the book "in its interpretative zeal … strays from … the historical record to the point of being suspect".

Bibliography

*'' The Great Auk: A Novel'' (1963); 2003 paperback reprint edition, Jesse Stuart Foundation, . *'' A Time of Terror: The Great Dayton Flood'' (1965); 1997 reprint edition with an Afterword by W. Stuart McDowell, Landfall Press, . *'' The Silent Sky: The Incredible Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon'' (1965); 2000 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *'' The Writer's Digest Course in Short Story Writing''; 1965. *''Wild Season''; 1967; 1981 reprint edition, Landfall Press, (paperback: ). *'' The Frontiersmen: A Narrative'' (1967); 2001 paperback reprint edition, Jesse Stuart Foundation; . *'' Bayou Backwaters''; with Marlin Perkins (1967), 2000 reprint edition, Doubleday, . *''The Crossbreed''; 1968, Little Brown & Company, ; 2000 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''Blue Jacket: War Chief of the Shawnees''; 1968; 2003 reprint edition, Jesse Stuart Foundation, , (paperback: ). *''The King Snake''; (Juvenile natural history) 1968; 1990 reprint, Scholastic, ; 2001 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''The Dreaming Tree''; 1968; 2000 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''Wilderness Empire: A Narrative'';1968; 2001 reprint edition, Jesse Stuart Foundation, , (paperback: ). *''In Search of a Whale''; 1969, Doubleday, . *''The Conquerors''; 1970; 2002 reprint edition, Jesse Stuart Foundation, , (paperback: ). *''

''; 1971; 1995 reprint edition, Little Brown & Company, , (paperback: ). *''The Court-Martial of Daniel Boone''; 1973, Little Brown & Company, ; 2000 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''The Owls of North America, North of Mexico: All the Species and Subspecies Illustrated in Color and Fully Described''; 1973, Doubleday Books, . *''Tecumseh!: A Play''; 1975; 2000 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *'' The HAB Theory''; 1976, Little Brown & Company, ; 2000 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''The Wilderness War, A Narrative''; 1978; 2003 reprint edition, Jesse Stuart Foundation, , (paperback: ). *''The Wading Birds of North America: North of Mexico''; 1978; 1987 reprint edition, Gramercy, . *''Savage Journey: A Novel"''; (Juvenile literature); 1979, Little Brown & Company, ; 2001 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''Song of the Wild''; (Juvenile literature); 1980, Little Brown & Co., ; 2000 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''Whattizzit Nature Pun Quizzes''; (booklet) 1981, Landfall Press, . *''Gateway to Empire''; 1982, Little Brown & Company, ; 1983 paperback edition, Bantam Books, . *''Johnny Logan: Shawnee Spy: A Novel''; 1982, Little Brown & Co, ; 2001 Paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.Com, . *''Wilderness Empire, Number 2''; 1982, Bantam Books, . *''The Dark Green Tunnel''; (Juvenile fantasy); 1983, Little Brown & Co., ; 2000 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''The Wand: The Return to Mesmeria''; (Juvenile fantasy) 1984, Little Brown & Co, ; 2001 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''The Scarlet Mansion''; 1985, Little Brown & Company, ; 2000 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''Earth Treasures Volume 1: the Northeastern Quadrant''; 1985; 2000 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''Earth Treasures Volume 2: the Southeastern Quadrant''; 1985; 2000 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''Earth Treasures Volume 3: the Northwestern Quadrant''; 1986; 2000 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''Earth Treasures Volume 4A: the Southwestern Quadrant''; 1987; 2000 paperback reprint edition, Backinprint.com, . *''Twilight Of Empire''; 1988, Little Brown & Company, ; 1989 paperback reprint edition, Bantam, . *''A Sorrow in Our Heart: The Life of Tecumseh''; 1992, Bantam Books, ; 1993 paperback reprint, Domain, ; 1995 paperback reprint, Smithmark Publishing, . *''That Dark and Bloody River: Chronicles of the Ohio River Valley''; 1995, Bantam Books, , (paperback ). *''The World of Opals''; 1997, John Wiley & Sons, . *''Return to Hawk's Hill''; 1998, Little Brown & Company, , (paperback: ). *''Dark Journey: The Tragedy of the Donner Party''; 2009, Jesse Stuart Foundation,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eckert, Allan W. 1931 births 2011 deaths American historical novelists Historians from New York (state) Newbery Honor winners Writers from Buffalo, New York American male novelists 20th-century American novelists People from Bellefontaine, Ohio 20th-century American male writers Novelists from New York (state) 20th-century American historians American male non-fiction writers American male screenwriters American male television writers American television writers Screenwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American screenwriters Emmy Award winners Historians from Ohio