World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Allan W. Eckert

アラン・ウェスリー・エッカート

Allan Wesley Eckert

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1931-01-30 （Buffalo, New York, U.S.）
Died
2011-07-07 （Corona, California, U.S.） age 80
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Chicago area, Illinois (raised) → Near Bellefontaine, Ohio (longtime residence)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Playwright, Naturalist, Screenwriter
Active Years
1950-2011
Influenced By
Natural-history writers and naturalists (unspecified)

Education

University of Dayton
Country: United States
Attended; specific degree information not available
Ohio State University
Country: United States
Attended; specific degree information not available

Awards

Newbery Honor
1972
Work: Incident at Hawk's Hill
Organization: American Library Association
Result: 受賞 (Newbery Honor)
Emmy Award
Work: Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom
Organization: National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (details unclear)
Result: 受賞 (Emmy Award)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Incident at Hawk's Hill

1971 Historical novel / Children's literature

A story about a boy's interaction with a wild creature, depicting nature and survival. Initially marketed to adults and later repositioned as a children's novel.

NatureHuman-animal bondSurvival
Adaptations
  • [Television movie] The Boy Who Talked to Badgers (1975)

The HAB Theory

1976 Novel

A novel addressing social/scientific themes (see original sources for details).

ScienceHuman drama

The Great Auk: A Novel

1963 Natural-history novel

Takes the extinct great auk as its subject, depicting the process of extinction and human involvement.

ExtinctionHuman-nature relationship

A Time of Terror: The Great Dayton Flood

1965 Historical non-fiction

A record and reconstruction of the 1913 Great Dayton Flood. Adapted for the stage in 1996 as '1913: The Great Dayton Flood'.

DisasterLocal history
Adaptations
  • [Stage play] 1913: The Great Dayton Flood (1996)

Bibliography

  • The Great Auk: A Novel
  • A Time of Terror: The Great Dayton Flood
  • The Silent Sky: The Incredible Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon
  • Incident at Hawk's Hill
  • Tecumseh!: A Play
  • The HAB Theory
  • Return to Hawk's Hill
  • Dark Journey: The Tragedy of the Donner Party

Adaptations

  • The Boy Who Talked to Badgers (1975 TV movie, Disney)
  • Tecumseh! (outdoor drama performed since 1973)
  • 1913: The Great Dayton Flood (stage adaptation, 1996)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Narrative that blends historical fact with fictionalized dialogue (narrative biography)Realistic nature description based on field observation
Recurring Motifs
Nature and wildlifeFrontier-era narrativesEmotional bonds between humans and animals

Legacy

Eckert is known for combining historical fiction and natural history across numerous works; 'Incident at Hawk's Hill' gained recognition in children's literature. His works influenced popular culture through stage adaptations like 'Tecumseh!' and film/TV adaptations, though he faced criticism over blending fact and fiction.

Academic Societies

  • Ohioana Library Association

Archives

  • Library of Congress (catalog records)

In Popular Culture

  • Disney television adaptation 'The Boy Who Talked to Badgers'
  • Continued performances of the outdoor historical drama 'Tecumseh!' (since 1973)

Trivia

  • Wrote more than 225 episodes for Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.
  • 'Incident at Hawk's Hill' was a Newbery Honor book in 1972.
  • The outdoor drama 'Tecumseh!' has been performed every summer since 1973 and became a local tourist attraction.
  • His blending of historical research with fictionalized dialogue drew criticism from some reviewers.