Evelyn Waugh

Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966) established himself as one of the 20th century's foremost English satirists. His early novels, including "Decline and Fall" (1928) and "Vile Bodies" (1930), lampooned the hedonism and absurdity of the British upper classes after World War I. A convert to Catholicism in 1930, his later work grew more somber, exploring faith and tradition in novels such as "Brideshead Revisited" (1945). Waugh also served as a war correspondent and wrote a celebrated trilogy, "Sword of Honour," based on his wartime experiences. His precise prose and unflinching social critique have secured his place as a major modernist and comic writer, influencing generations of novelists.