William Woodruff (1916-2008) was a world historian who is better known for his autobiography than for his studies of world history.

 

He was born into a family of weavers - in Blackburn, Lancashire, England - just before the prosperous cotton town headed for the collapse of the cotton industry. The Road to Nab End chronicals the efforts of his family to avoid being crushed by fate when they lost their jobs and faced destitution.

 

Young William left school at thirteen; at sixteen he ran away to London, where for two years he struggled to survive working as a 'sand rat' in an iron foundry. At night school he discovered a love for learning and eventually gained entry to Oxford University with the aid of a London County Council Scholarship.  Beyond Nab End describes his breathless race to fill the gaps in his education and realise his plans for a better future. It all abruptly ended with the outbreak of the Second World War.

 

During six years of war he fought with the 24th Guards Brigade of the British Army in North Africa and the Mediterranean region. From the crucible of battle emerged his great war story: Vessel of Sadness.

 

World history became the focus of his research and teaching after the war. He taught for forty years, and condensed that knowledge at the end of his academic career in A Concise History of the Modern World.

 

In his eighties William Woodruff retired from academia, sat at his desk, and wrote his autobiography. He was surprised when his books became best sellers.