Leon Uris (1924–2003,) fully Leon Marcus Uris, was an American writer who blended political and historical commentary with conventional characters. A considerable spokesman for American Jews, he is celebrated for his panoramic, action-filled novels steeped in the Zionist interpretation of modern Jewish history.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Uris dropped out of high school and joined the U.S. Marine Corps, taking part in the Pacific battles. His first novel, Battle Cry (1953,) uses the WWII experience to telling effect.
Exodus (1958) remains the book by which Uris is best known. It deals with the struggle to establish and defend the state of Israel. Uris traveled 12,000 miles inside Israel while composing Exodus and interviewed 1,200 people, though he never announced how many of them were Palestinians. Describing the initial years of Israel, Exodus was made into a successful film starring Paul Newman.
Uris’s Mila 18 (1961) is set in the Warsaw ghetto in 1943, and QB VII (1970) concerns a libel trial over a former Nazi war criminal.
Uris’s subsequent works include Trinity (1976,) The Haj (1984,) Redemption (1995,) and O’Hara’s Choice (2003.) He also wrote screenplays, including that for Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Leon Uris
Often we have no time for our friends but all the time in the world for our enemies.
—Leon Uris
Topics: Friends and Friendship
Talent isn’t enough. You need motivation—and persistence, too: what Steinbeck called a blend of faith and arrogance. When you’re young, plain old poverty can be enough, along with an insatiable hunger for recognition. You have to have that feeling of “I’ll show them.” If you don’t have it, don’t become a writer.
—Leon Uris
Topics: Motivation
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