W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham was born in Paris in 1874, speaking French before English.
Orphaned young, he had an unhappy childhood reflected in Of Human Bondage.
After becoming a physician, Maugham turned to writing, initially struggling before achieving success.
He wrote during the modernist era, with his plain prose style often criticized.
Maugham worked for British Intelligence during World War I and traveled extensively.
He settled in the south of France after World War II, dividing his time between England and Nice until his death in 1965.
Born within the British Embassy in Paris to avoid French conscription, Maugham's international background influenced his life and work.
