William Woodruff
William Woodruff | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 September 1916 Blackburn, Lancashire, United Kingdom |
| Died | 23 September 2008 (aged 92) Gainesville, Florida, United States |
| Occupation |
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| Nationality | British |
| Citizenship | British, United States (naturalised) |
| Alma mater | St Catherine's College, University of Oxford Harvard University (Fulbright Scholar) |
| Subject | Economic and world history, autobiography, fiction |
| Notable works | The Road To Nab End: A Lancashire Childhood Beyond Nab End Vessel of Sadness Impact of Western Man – A Study of Europe's Role in the World Economy, 1750–1960 A Concise History of the Modern World – 1500 to the Present |
| Spouse | Katharine (married 1940 – her death in 1959) Helga (married 1960 – his death) |
William Woodruff (12 September 1916 – 23 September 2008) was a professor of world history and author. His two autobiographical works, The Road to Nab End and its sequel Beyond Nab End, both became bestsellers in the United Kingdom. The memoirs, covering Woodruff's impoverished upbringing in an English weaving community during the Great Depression, contain significant amounts of social commentary about the conditions in which he lived.