Thomas B. Costain(1885-1965)
- Writer
Thomas Bertram Costain was a novelist specializing in historical
fiction; he published his first novel, "For My Great Folly" when he was
fifty-seven years old. Before then, he was a newspaper reporter for
local newspapers around his birthplace of Brantford, Ontario; in 1915,
he would become the managing editor for Macleans'magazine, and would
serve in that post until 1920 when he became the editor-in-chief of the
Saturday Evening Post. In 1937, he became the eastern story editor for
Twentieth-Century Fox, and two years later became an advisory editor
for Doubleday. He had always been interested in writing novels, but his
editorial duties had not afforded him much time until he was well into
his fifties. "For My Great Folly" was a best seller, and was followed
by a number of others, including "The Black Rose", which raced to the
top of the New York Times Fiction Book List, and "The silver Chalice."
His novels were historical romances noted for thorough research, rapid
action, snappy dialogue and careful plotting. Although very popular at
one time, he is unknown today.
