My Brother Sam Is Dead

James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier are brothers who co-authored My Brother Sam Is Dead in 1974. The brothers grew up in New York City and Wilton, Connecticut. The pair has written many other young adult historical novels and non-fiction titles.

James Lincoln Collier was born in 1928. His first career was as a journalist and magazine editor. He published his first book, Battleground: The United States Army in World War II, in 1965. James Lincoln Collier’s books have won many prizes, and twice he was a finalist for the National Book Award. Over the years, he has worked as a professional musician and jazz commentator as well as working full time as a writer.

Christopher Collier was born in 1930 and died in 2020. He graduated from Clark University, served in the US armed forces, and eventually earned a master’s degree from Columbia University. He then taught junior high and high school history, a career that encouraged him to write historical novels. After earning a doctorate in history from Columbia, he taught history at the college level. In addition to the works he wrote with his brother James, he also wrote historical papers and nonfiction. His book, Roger Sherman’s Connecticut: Yankee Politics and the American Revolution (1971) was a Pulitzer Prize nominee.