Abstract After World War I, William Bolitho Ryall rose to international fame as a foreign correspondent, newspaper columnist, author, and playwright. In 1930, at the height of his celebrity, he died from a ruptured appendix. He was thirty-nine. During his decade-long career, he wrote numerous news and feature stories, columns, and essays for newspapers and magazines. He also wrote a Broadway play and published six books, including a best seller.