W Mason a EAlfred E. W. Mason was an English author and politician. He was born on May 7, 1865, and died on November 22, 1948. He is best known for his 1902 book The Four Feathers, which is about bravery and cowardice in wartime. He is also known for creating Ispector Hanaud, a French detective who inspired Agatha Christie's famous Hercule Poirot. He was born in the city of Camberwell. He went to school at Dulwich College and got his degree in 1888 from Trinity College, Oxford. He lived at the same time as Liberal Anthony Hope, who went on to write The Prisoner of Zenda, an adventure story. He used to act before he turned to writing. In 1894, he played Major Plechanoff in the first performance of Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw. During his lifetime, many of his short stories and novels were turned into movies. Many of the silent versions have been lost or forgotten, but Fire Over England (1937) and The Four Feathers (1939) are still considered two of the best British movies ever made. Read More Read Less