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Harold Frederic's career as a novelist lasted for only eleven years, from the publication of Seth's Brother's Wife in 1887 to his death in 1898, at the age of forty-two. Yet, all the while living the life of an active man-about-town in London and serving as the correspondent of the New York Times, he published three novels of contemporary Mohawk Valley life, two of which have been acclaimed as minor classics of realism; a historical novel about the American Revolution, considered by some critics as one of the most accurate historical novels to be written by an American; a series of Civil War stories, important for emancipating the genre from the romantic themes which still pervaded it; a book of critical sketches about English life; a novel about Ireland; three novels set in England; two books on current political affairs; and a modest list of short stories and essays. He also turned one of his novels into a play, almost completed a second dramatization
Frederic was born in Utica, New York, on August 19, 1856, a child of the artisan class. His formal education terminated with his graduation from the Advanced School, on July 6, 1871, after which time he worked for local photographers as a printer and negative retoucher. From 1873 to 1875 he was in Boston, supported by his trade, and in 1875 he began his career in journalism as proofreader on the Utica Morning Herald. Soon he was employed by the Utica Observer, and worked his way to the position of editor in 1880.
In September, 1882, he became editor of the Republican Albany Evening Journal; when the newspaper changed hands in March, 1884, he obtained a place with the New York Times as London correspondent. In June, 1884, he sailed with his family for England; except for two visits to New York and occasional trips to the Continent and to Ireland, he spent the remainder of his life in England. His weekly cable letters to the Times earned him great respect as a correspondent and news analyst. He died October 19, 1898.
Frederic is best remembered today as the author of the controversial The Damnation of Theron Ware, misread in its own time as an attack upon the clergy. He has been linked with the early naturalists and considered a pioneer in the revolt against the farm. At the present time, Frederic is receiving belated critical recognition. The present checklist of Frederic's writings fulfills a need which the recent attention to him is creating.
There has been no published full-length study of Frederic, but he has been the subject of two doctoral dissertations: Paul Haines, Harold Frederic (New York University, 1945), and my own Harold Frederic: A Study of His Novels, Short Stories, and Plays (Indiana University, 1957). I wish to acknowledge the pioneer work done by Dr. Haines.
It should be realized that I do not claim that the present checklist is complete; I will be grateful to others who may be able to add to my list. Frederic's newspaper writings are not considered in the present compilation.
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