Washington Irving

In Short

Henry Walcott Boynton presents Washington Irving as the founding figure of American literature, tracing his journey from an ailing youth in New York to an internationally celebrated author and diplomat. The narrative follows Irving’s wandering early years, his triumph with humorous and reflective sketches, his period of historical research in Spain, and his final years as a national icon at Sunnyside. Boynton shows how Irving’s work has endured not through aggressive ambition, but through his genial, Addisonian style, his unwavering personal integrity, and the effortless warmth that shines across all his writings.

The Story

The biography opens in late eighteenth-century New York, introducing Irving as a delicate boy whose uncertain health continually threatens his studies. Sent abroad in 1804 to escape consumption, he recovers his vigor at sea and returns home to embrace the easy life of a young man about town. He initially dallies in the law, but his true inclination lies in literary satire. Collaborating on the irreverent Salmagundi papers, he quickly captures the local fancy, following this success with his brilliant, full-length caricature, Knickerbocker’s History of New York. Despite this early triumph, Irving remains reluctant to view writing as a formal profession, preferring a life of polite leisure and social charm.

Deciding to travel again, Irving arrives in England just as the Napoleonic Wars draw to a close. When his family's business affairs face distress, he finally turns to literature as a serious livelihood. The publication of The Sketch Book establishes his reputation on both sides of the Atlantic, earning him the friendship of figures like Sir Walter Scott and demonstrating that an American can write pure, elegant English. Subsequent works like Bracebridge Hall and Tales of a Traveller cement his status, though Irving frequently suffers from bouts of self-doubt, creative stagnation, and physical ailments that temporarily halt his pen.

A major transition occurs when Irving moves to Spain to work on historical subjects. Immersing himself in the archives of Madrid and the enchanted atmosphere of the Alhambra, he produces his major biographical work on Christopher Columbus and his romantic Chronicles of the Conquest of Granada. This period shifts his reputation from a mere creator of light sketches to a serious historian. His diplomatic abilities lead to an appointment as secretary of legation in London, and later, to a prestigious post as Minister to Spain during a turbulent era of court intrigue and political unrest in Madrid.

In his final chapter, Irving returns to his beloved home, Sunnyside, on the Hudson River. Though burdened by failing health and the heavy labor of finishing his monumental Life of Washington, he remains a generous, accessible figure who shuns public adulation. Boynton closes the arc by demonstrating how Irving's life and writing seamlessly reflect one another: a man of quiet courage, simple tastes, and enduring magnanimity whose charm outlives his era.

How It Unfolds

Youth and early travels Threatened by consumption in his youth, Irving abandons legal studies to undertake a restorative transatlantic voyage. He climbs the ship's rigging, regains his strength, and returns to New York to begin his career as a youthful satirist.

The satirical man about town Irving engages in the vibrant social life of New York, publishing the witty Salmagundi sketches and the famous Dutch caricature Knickerbocker’s History. The public enthusiastically receives his writing, though Irving still hesitates to commit to a professional literary career.

European success and literary maturity Moving to England, Irving publishes The Sketch Book, winning international acclaim and the friendship of Walter Scott. He establishes himself as a dedicated professional writer, publishing Bracebridge Hall while battling recurrent ill health and creative anxiety.

Spanish history and diplomatic duty Irving relocates to Spain, where intense research yields a biography of Columbus and the atmospheric prose of the Alhambra. He later accepts diplomatic assignments in London and as Minister to Spain, handling tense court affairs with quiet steady capability.

Retirement at Sunnyside Returning permanently to America, Irving settles at his Hudson River cottage to complete his final major work, a biography of Washington. He maintains his warm modesty and generous nature until the end, surrounded by family and nationwide esteem.

The People

• Washington Irving: The subject of the biography, who evolves from an uncertain, fragile youth into America’s premier man of letters. He seeks to observe life with warmth and grace, hampered at times by severe self-doubt, physical illness, and financial pressures, ultimately succeeding through his personal charm and quiet firmness.
• Peter Irving: Washington’s supportive brother and business associate. He encourages Washington's early writings, publishes the Morning Chronicle, and later shares in various financial ventures, including an unprofitable steamboat project along the Seine.
• Walter Scott: The great Scottish novelist who becomes a warm friend and promoter of Irving in England. He offers Irving editorial opportunities and serves as an inspiring example of generous literary success.
• George C. Verplanck: A personal friend of Irving who publicly criticizes Knickerbocker's History for its rough caricature of old Dutch families, prompting an exceptionally graceful and forgiving reaction from Irving.

In Its Own Voice

"Irving's name stands as the first landmark in American letters."

Boynton opens his biography by establishing Irving's unique historical position as the foundational figure in early American literature.

"He had no great passions; the brother was stronger in him than the lover."

In describing Irving's temperate emotional landscape, Boynton highlights how family affection played a far greater role in his life than romantic drama.

"I seek only to blow a flute accompaniment in the national concert, and leave others to play the fiddle and French horn."

Writing to a friend about The Sketch Book, Irving modestly outlines his intention to produce light, graceful prose rather than weighty political treatises.

What It's Really About

Boynton’s biography explores the nature of literary charm and the quiet strength behind a gentle disposition. It investigates how an author without explosive passions or radical political ambitions could become the defining literary voice of a young republic. The book examines the shift in American culture from dependent colonial imitation to independent artistic respectability, using Irving’s life to prove that purity of style and personal integrity carry enduring power. Beneath the literary success lies a portrait of quiet resilience—a man who faced ill health, financial anxieties, and intense public scrutiny without losing his innate kindness, modesty, or devotion to his country.

Why Read It Today

Boynton’s account offers a clear, affectionate, and thoroughly balanced portrait of an essential figure in American cultural history. Readers who enjoy literary biography will appreciate Boynton’s lucid prose, which avoids modern hype in favor of sensible, dignified assessment. The book provides a wonderful sense of period flavor, capturing the social intimacy of early New York, the bustle of nineteenth-century European literary circles, and the dramatic atmosphere of Spanish diplomatic courts.

The reader should be prepared for a biography structured around nineteenth-century literary sensibilities and traditional historical narrative rather than dramatic psychological speculation. It occasionally spends time on minor publication details or forgotten political contexts, reflecting the style of early twentieth-century scholarship. However, these period details only heighten the authenticity of the portrait. Readers come away with a deep appreciation for Irving’s easy, unpretentious prose and the calm, incorruptible character that earned him the genuine affection of readers on both sides of the Atlantic.