E. Alexander Powell

Powell was born in Syracuse, New York in 1879. In 1898–1899 he worked for the Syracuse Journal, and in 1902 he became editor of Craftsman. From 1903 to 1904 he was an advertising manager for the Smith Premier Typewriter Company, based in London, England, and in 1905-1906 he worked in the Near East as a correspondent for British and American publications. From 1906 to 1909 he was a consular official in Syria and Egypt. Powell worked as a war correspondent during World War I and his position as a neutral allowed him access to both sides of the battle lines, from 1914 onwards. With the entry of the United States into the Great War in 1917, Powell was commissioned as a captain in military intelligence. He was injured in September 1918, and convalesced until the Armistice in November of that year, thereafter returning to the US. He left the US Armed Services with the rank of major. Powell published his war journalism in newspapers and magazines such as The War Illustrated, New York World and the Daily Mail and his war books were published by Charles Scribner's Sons. Powell then switched from journalism to a successful career as an adventure and travel writer, traveling widely across the globe and publishing some 20 more books between 1920 and 1954. Powell married Jessie Northrup Powell, then subsequently Florence Taylor Powell. He died at Falls Village, Connecticut in 1957. His papers are held in the US Library of Congress.