Christopher St. John Sprigg

Christopher Caudwell

24 featured booksChristopher Caudwell

Until recently Christopher St John Sprigg was largely remembered for his Marxist writing and poetry, all of which was published posthumously under the name **Christopher Caudwell**. The reprinting of *Death of an Airman* by the British Library in 2015 has helped revive interest in his fiction. Christopher St John Sprigg (1907 - 1937) was born in London to a literate family of writers, journalists and editors. The youngest of three children, Sprigg attended Catholic boarding school for ten years, until a downturn in family finances prompted a departure from schooling at age 15. He immediately became a trainee reporter at the *Yorkshire Observer* where his father was then literary editor, and father and son lodged together in a boarding house in Bradford. In 1925 Sprigg joined his older brother Theo as the editing team of *Airways* magazine. During this time Sprigg also produced technical books and air adventures stores for *Popular Flying* magazine. He had a fondness for noms-de-plumes, writing adventure stores under the names ‘Arthur Cave’ and ‘Icarus’, using ‘St John Lewis’ for articles in *Airways*, and ‘Christopher Beaumont’ for his book reviews. Over a three year period, Sprigg wrote several detective stores stories, including *Fatality in Fleet Street*, *The Perfect Alibi*, <a href=https://openlibrary.org/works/OL22661796W/>*Death of an Airman*</a>, and *Death of a Queen*. In 1935, he joined the Communist party and focused on Marxist writings. When the Spanish Civil War broke out, he drove an ambulance to Spain and joined the International Brigade. After four weeks of training and poorly armed, his unit was thrown into the Battle of the Jarama River in February 1937. He was killed in the first day of fighting, along with more than half of his battalion.

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Overview

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24 representative editions

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Display name
Christopher St. John Sprigg
Personal name
Christopher Caudwell
Source identifier
OL557345A

Featured books

Representative editions for works actually authored by this person.

Works in catalog

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The Perfect Alibi
Representative edition published 2019
Open Work
The Six Queer Things
Representative edition published 2018
Open Work
Muerte de un aviador
Representative edition published 2016
Open Work
Death of an Airman
Representative edition published 2015
Open Work
Death of an Airman
Representative edition published 2015
Open Work
Studies in a dying culture
Representative edition published 2007
Open Work
Illusion and reality
Representative edition published 2006
Open Work
Collected Poems, 1924-1936
Representative edition published 1986
Open Work
Scenes and actions
Representative edition published 1986
Open Work
Illusion and reality
Representative edition published 1973
Open Work
Studies and further studies in a dying culture
Representative edition published 1971
Open Work
Romance and realism
Representative edition published 1970
Open Work
Pacifism and violence
Representative edition published 1970
Open Work
Further studies in a dying culture
Representative edition published 1949
Open Work
Studies in a dying culture
Representative edition published 1938
Open Work
Fatality in Fleet Street
Representative edition published 2019
Open Work
Death of a Queen
Representative edition published 2019
Open Work
Death of an Airman
Representative edition published 2015
Open Work
Further studies in a dying culture
Representative edition published 1990
Open Work
Dialéctica y literatura
Representative edition published 1978
Open Work
The concept of freedom
Representative edition published 1977
Open Work
Bürgerliche Illusion und Wirklichkeit
Representative edition published 1975
Open Work
Studien zu einer sterbenden Kultur
Representative edition published 1974
Open Work
Consciousness
Representative edition published 1970
Open Work