Melville Goodwin, U.S.A.

novel by Marquand

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

Melville Goodwin, U.S.A. is a 1951 novel by John P. Marquand. The book explores the life of a professional soldier, examining the shifting patterns of middle- and upper-class American society in the mid-20th century. Marquand was known for his satirical yet sympathetic studies of New England gentility and the dislocations of wartime America. This novel, along with Sincerely, Willis Wayde, depicts social types prominent in the 1950s.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

John P. Marquand
…the 1950s were depicted in Melville Goodwin, U.S.A. (1951), about a professional soldier, and Sincerely, Willis Wayde (1955), a sharply satiric portrait of a big business promoter. His last important novel, Women and Thomas Harrow (1958), is about a successful playwright and is partly autobiographical.
Read More
…the 1950s were depicted in Melville Goodwin, U.S.A. (1951), about a professional soldier, and Sincerely, Willis Wayde (1955), a sharply satiric portrait of a big business promoter. His last important novel, Women and Thomas Harrow (1958), is about a successful playwright and is partly autobiographical.
Read More