James Saxon Childers
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Brief Biography
James Saxon Childers grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. He served as a United States Navy pilot during World War I and then earned his bachelor’s degree at Oberlin College in 1920. He later earned a master’s degree at Oxford University while attending as a Rhodes Scholar. Childers spent the next seventeen years teaching literature and creative writing at Birmingham-Southern College while also contributing as a columnist and book reviewer for The Birmingham News. Childers published his first novel in 1926 and continued publishing numerous novels, travel books, and biographies over the years. His works were well-received by critics, particularly his travel books. Childers served as a US Air Force intelligence officer during World War II and later worked for The Atlanta Journal and the US State Department. Despite facing challenges due to his liberal views on integration, Childers remained dedicated to his writing and lecturing career until he died of cancer in the mid-1960s.
Publications
From Siam to Suez. New York; D. Appleton, 1923.
Histories or Tales of Past Times Told by Mother Goose, with Morals. S.l.; Nonesuch, 1925.
Robert McAlpine, a Biography. New York; Oxford University Press, 1925.
Hilltop in the Rain. New York; D. Appleton, 1928.
The Bookshop Mystery. New York; D. Appleton, 1930.
Through Oriental Gates. New York; D. Appleton, 1930.
God Save the Duke. New York; D. Appleton, 1933.
In the Deep South. Tuscaloosa, Ala.; University of Alabama Press, 1936.
Sailing South American Skies. New York; Farrar, 1936.
A Novel About a White Man and a Black Man in the Deep South. New York; Farrar, 1936.
Mumbo Jumbo, Esquire. New York; D. Appleton, 1941.
Laurel and Straw. New York; D. Appleton, 1941.
Enemy Outpost. New York; D. Appleton, 1942.
Erskine Ramsay, His Life and Achievements. S.l.; Cartwright and Ewing, 1942.
War Eagles, the Story of the Eagle Squadron. New York; D. Appleton, 1943.
The Nation on the Flying Trapeze: The United States as the People of the East See Us. New York; D. McKay, 1960.
A Way Home: The Baptists Tell Their Story. Atlanta; Tupper and Love, 1963.
Joint Publications:
Tomorrow We Reap. New York; Dial, 1949.
Histories or Tales of Past Times Told by Mother Goose, with Morals. S.l.; Nonesuch, 1925.
Robert McAlpine, a Biography. New York; Oxford University Press, 1925.
Hilltop in the Rain. New York; D. Appleton, 1928.
The Bookshop Mystery. New York; D. Appleton, 1930.
Through Oriental Gates. New York; D. Appleton, 1930.
God Save the Duke. New York; D. Appleton, 1933.
In the Deep South. Tuscaloosa, Ala.; University of Alabama Press, 1936.
Sailing South American Skies. New York; Farrar, 1936.
A Novel About a White Man and a Black Man in the Deep South. New York; Farrar, 1936.
Mumbo Jumbo, Esquire. New York; D. Appleton, 1941.
Laurel and Straw. New York; D. Appleton, 1941.
Enemy Outpost. New York; D. Appleton, 1942.
Erskine Ramsay, His Life and Achievements. S.l.; Cartwright and Ewing, 1942.
War Eagles, the Story of the Eagle Squadron. New York; D. Appleton, 1943.
The Nation on the Flying Trapeze: The United States as the People of the East See Us. New York; D. McKay, 1960.
A Way Home: The Baptists Tell Their Story. Atlanta; Tupper and Love, 1963.
Joint Publications:
Tomorrow We Reap. New York; Dial, 1949.
Themes
James Saxon Childers wrote novels, biographies, and travel books. He used his experiences in the South, academia, World War I, and World War II as inspiration for his fiction. His works often explore themes of racial integration and social issues.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Childers, James Saxon, “James Saxon Childers,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/554.