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Leonard Patrick O'Connor Wibberley (9 April 1915 – 22 November 1983), who also wrote under the name Patrick O'Connor, was a prolific and versatile Ireland-born author and spent most of his life in the United States. Wibberley published more than 100 books but is perhaps best known for five satirical novels about an imaginary country Grand Fenwick, particularly ''The Mouse That Roared'' (1955).〔 Wibberley's adult and juvenile publications cut across the categories of fictional novels, history, and biography. He also wrote short stories (several published in ''The Saturday Evening Post''), plays, and long verse poems. He produced more than 50 juvenile books; for example (with Farrar, Straus and Giroux), the seven-volume Treegate series of historical fiction, which takes place during the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and a four-volume life of Thomas Jefferson. As Patrick O'Connor, he wrote the Black Tiger series on auto racing, for young adults. He also wrote a mystery series and is classified as a science fiction writer. Throughout the decades, scenes and senses of the sea play important parts in both Wibberley's fiction and nonfiction. Three of his novels have been made into movies: ''The Mouse That Roared'' (1959), ''The Mouse on the Moon'' (1963), and ''The Hands of Cormac Joyce'' (1972). ==Biography== Leonard Wibberley was born in Dublin and educated in Ireland and England. His father was author Thomas Wibberley, a Professor of Agriculture, University College, Cork (one of the three constituents of the National University of Ireland) and Queen's University Belfast. The elder Wibberley was an experimental agronomist, who wrote several books arguing his methods and inventions, by which he believed the UK might feed itself, absent empire: notably ''Farming on Factory Lines: continuous cropping for the large farmer'' (London, 1919). The latter's second name, "Patrick", was his confirmation name; his third, a matronymic also used as ''nom de plume'': from his mother's, " Sinaid O'Connor".〔"Leonard Wibberley says", dust jacket of ''The Trouble with the Irish'' (see "Non-fiction" in bibliog. above).〕 Wibberley began a long career in newspapers as copy boy for the ''Sunday Dispatch'' (London), progressed to reporter for the ''Daily Mirror'' (London), and then editor (among other jobs) in Trinidad, before moving to the United States in 1943, where, in his late twenties, he was both foreign correspondent for the ''Evening News'' (London), and cable dispatch editor for the ''Associated Press'' (New York City) during World War II.〔 In 1947, Wibberley moved permanently to California as foreign correspondent, then reporter, for the ''Los Angeles Times''. While working for that newspaper he began his novel-writing career. After leaving the ''Times'' he was briefly a reporter for the ''Turlock Journal'', until the appearance of his first novel, ''The King's Beard'' (1952), at age 37. He then settled permanently in Hermosa Beach, California, as a full-time author. From that date, he published over 100 books, at a rate of at least one a year and averaging more than three. Many were with three publishers: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; William Morrow; Dodd, Mead and Company. The best-known of Wibberley's books, ''The Mouse that Roared'', was kept in print for some time by Bantam Books and then Four Walls Eight Windows. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Leonard Wibberley」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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