Today’s Book of the Day is The Real Wizard of Oz: The Life and Times of L. Frank Baum by Rebecca Longcraine. This book details Frank Baum’s struggle to write and publish the famous series. Although The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was originally written in 1899,it was not published until 1900. Baum was an endlessly creative man that traveled widely throughout the US, gaining inspiration in every new place.
Baum grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York, married Maud Gage and moved out west where they encountered numerous natural hardships, such as tornadoes and drought, before moving to Chicago. His books became so famous that he spent the rest of his years writing 13 sequels to his original book. He also wrote adaptations for Broadway and started his own movie company to try and adapt his stories, which failed miserably. He had just finished the final Oz book before dying in 1919.
Rebecca Longcraine attended Oxford University and writes for the British press, such as The Independent and The Guardian.