10 Fascinating Insights About Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway is widely regarded as one of the most influential authors in history. Many of us were introduced to his works during our formative years in high school and college, where his writing was often praised as some of the finest in literature. However, few realize that Hemingway embodied the essence of rugged masculinity. He was known for his daring exploits, such as hunting sharks with machine guns, confronting submarines with grenades, and even influencing international conflicts. For instance, did you know that...

10. He Once Defended James Joyce in Brawls

It’s fascinating to discover that two literary giants, Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce, were close friends. They frequently spent evenings together in Parisian bars, where Joyce had a habit of provoking bar fights. The reasons behind these altercations remain unclear, especially since Joyce was far from a skilled fighter. His poor eyesight often left him unable to even see his opponents clearly.

Fortunately for Joyce, his companion was not only a literary titan but also a formidable physical presence. Hemingway was passionate about boxing, and even the legendary Jack Dempsey admitted he avoided sparring with Hemingway, fearing his relentless intensity. Dempsey once remarked, “I had this sense that Hemingway, who really thought he could box, would come out of the corner like a madman. To stop him, I would have to hurt him badly.” Whenever Joyce found himself in trouble, he would simply shout, “Deal with him, Hemingway!” Hemingway would then step in and overpower Joyce’s opponent, cementing their legacy as the most unlikely literary tag team in history.

9. He Was a Passionate Angler Who Hunted Sharks With Machine Guns

In 1934, Hemingway invested an advance from a short story collection to purchase an 11.5-meter (38 ft) luxury yacht, which he named Pillar and heavily modified. This marked the beginning of Hemingway’s transformation into a skilled fisherman. During the summer of 1938, he achieved the remarkable feat of catching 52 marlins. His fishing prowess in Cuba was so renowned that Fidel Castro organized the Torneo Hemingway fishing competition in his honor in 1960.

However, Hemingway’s fishing techniques were anything but conventional. In 1935, he hooked a shark, but the situation took a dramatic turn when, while trying to haul it onto his boat, he accidentally shot himself in both legs with a Colt revolver. Another notable incident, which inspired The Old Man And The Sea, involved Hemingway and his friend Mike Strater battling a marlin estimated to be over 4 meters (13 ft) long. After hours of struggle, they finally reeled it in, only to face a swarm of circling sharks. Hemingway fired a Thompson machine gun at them, but the gunfire only attracted more sharks. By the time they secured the fish, it was nearly torn in half, yet it still weighed an impressive 227 kilograms (500 lb).

8. He Patrolled the Seas for the Hooligan Navy, Hunting U-Boats

In 1942, German U-boats were targeting and sinking US freighters. With the Navy still recovering from the devastating losses at Pearl Harbor, they turned to civilian volunteers to assist in coastal patrols using private yachts. This group of volunteers became famously known as the “Hooligan Navy.” While most members simply conducted patrols and relayed their observations via radio, one individual stood out.

Hemingway declared himself a captain and took to patrolling the waters off Cuba, aiming to actively destroy any U-boats he encountered using a mix of Thompson machine gun fire and hand grenades. He assembled a diverse crew that included bullfighters, Basque jai alai players, a billionaire, and a US Marine. Hemingway theorized that a U-boat, upon spotting a vessel like Pillar, would surface and approach closely to use its deck guns instead of wasting torpedoes. His strategy involved closing the distance to the U-boat, allowing the Basque players to hurl grenades at its conning tower while the crew unleashed machine gun fire. Despite the thrilling premise, Hemingway never encountered or sank a U-boat, leading some to believe his patrols were merely a pretext to fish and drink with his friends.

7. He Operated Independently as a War Correspondent

In 1944, Hemingway served as a war correspondent for Collier’s magazine. Although he had reported on previous conflicts, at 44, he was no longer a young man. During D-Day, he was ordered to remain on board as the military deemed him too valuable to risk. However, it soon became clear that Hemingway was not one to be confined or directed by others.

While accompanying the 22nd Regiment, Hemingway secured military approval to conduct an intelligence mission in Rambouillet. He quickly assumed leadership of a motley group consisting of a secret agent, French soldiers, and civilians who obeyed his commands without hesitation, addressing him as “Papa,” “Captain,” or even Le Grande Capitan. This group, dubbed the “irregulars,” was a fiercely loyal band that emulated Hemingway’s behavior and style. Their numbers grew into the hundreds as more locals and French troops joined. They performed reconnaissance missions ahead of the main forces, and Hemingway, donning a colonel’s uniform, led them into combat on multiple occasions.

Despite having authorization for his operations, Hemingway’s actions as a war correspondent violated the Geneva Convention, as he wielded weapons, engaged in combat, and posed as a military officer. He faced a court-martial but managed to talk his way out of trouble and returned to the front lines. In November 1944, he participated in a major battle near the German border, where 33,000 American soldiers lost their lives. Hemingway survived and, two years after the war, was awarded a bronze star.

6. He Clashed with Orson Welles

In 1937, Orson Welles was hired to narrate The Spanish Earth, a documentary by Joris Ivens. Hemingway, who had penned the narration, openly criticized Welles’s delivery, disliking his vocal style. When Welles proposed edits to Hemingway’s script, including significant cuts, Hemingway grew furious. The argument escalated when Hemingway snapped, “Some damn f— who runs an art theater thinks he can tell me how to write narration.” Welles retorted mockingly, mimicking a campy tone and ridiculing Hemingway’s macho persona.

The disagreement quickly escalated into a physical altercation. The fight spilled onto the stage in front of the documentary. As images of battle and conflict played on the screen, Welles and Hemingway exchanged blows in front of the audience. They eventually reconciled and became close friends. However, this didn’t prevent Hemingway from replacing Welles’s narration entirely with his own recording.

5. He Adored Cats

In 1931, Hemingway received a unique cat named “Snowball,” a white polydactyl with six toes due to a genetic mutation. Hemingway became fascinated by this trait and eventually had around 50 of these cats roaming his Key West estate. His writings helped popularize the breed, and today, polydactyl cats are often called “Hemingway cats.”

Today, Hemingway’s Key West home is a museum. Visitors will immediately notice the abundance of polydactyl cats, each with six toes, freely wandering the grounds. Nearly all of them are direct descendants of Snowball, embodying the same free-spirited nature as Hemingway himself.

4. He Was Convinced He Was Under Government Watch

In his later years, Hemingway was emotionally and mentally drained, plagued by intense paranoia. He was certain that he was constantly being followed, monitored, and spied on by “the feds.” While driving, he believed other vehicles were tailing him. He would leave bars abruptly, convinced strangers were observing him. On one occasion, he claimed that two late-working bank employees were government agents scrutinizing his personal accounts.

As Hemingway’s insistence on being surveilled grew, his family and friends grew increasingly worried. This led to his hospitalization and treatment with electric shock therapy, a standard practice for mental health issues in the 1960s. However, this only exacerbated his condition. He remained convinced that the FBI was everywhere and his phone was tapped. Tragically, after several suicide attempts, he ultimately succeeded in ending his life, a heartbreaking outcome made even more poignant by the fact that his paranoia was not entirely unfounded.

3. Hunter S. Thompson Looked Into Hemingway’s Suicide but Ended Up Taking His Belongings

Ernest Hemingway’s suicide in 1961 sent shockwaves across the globe. As a profound influence on countless writers, his death deeply affected many, including Hunter S. Thompson, whose own turbulent life mirrored Hemingway’s in many ways.

In 1964, Thompson journeyed to Ketchum, Idaho to explore the house where Hemingway spent his final two years. He aimed to write an investigative piece for The National Observer titled “What Lured Hemingway to Ketchum.” Thompson’s writing was filled with admiration for his idol, but he ultimately concluded that Hemingway was “an old, sick, and deeply troubled man.”

During his research, Thompson noticed a striking pair of elk antlers mounted above the door of Hemingway’s cabin. Deciding that he could at least claim a memento, even if he couldn’t match Hemingway’s wild exploits, Thompson did what any reckless adventurer might—he took them.

2. He Worked as a KGB Operative

In the 1940s, J. Edgar Hoover kept a close watch on individuals he distrusted, often targeting the famous, intellectuals, or those who opposed his views. While it’s unclear if Hoover had any concrete evidence on Hemingway, it has since been revealed that Hemingway was, in fact, a KGB operative.

This revelation came from Alexander Vassiliev, a former KGB agent who accessed Cold War–era Soviet archives and discovered Hemingway listed as an asset, a term often used for spies. Hemingway had met with Soviet agents in Cuba and England, and records indicate he was eager to assist them. They assigned him the codename “Argo” and anticipated valuable intelligence from him.

However, Hemingway proved to be an ineffective spy. The information he provided was either trivial or entirely useless, leading the KGB to abandon their efforts with him. Was Hemingway a double agent deliberately feeding the Soviets worthless data, or was his drinking habit to blame for his lack of usefulness? The truth remains a mystery.

1. He Was Truly Under Government Surveillance

Hemingway stands as a prime example of the saying, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.” For years, many dismissed his paranoia as a symptom of his declining mental health. However, while his friends believed he was losing his grip on reality, the FBI was indeed monitoring him.

In 1983, years after Hemingway’s mental collapse and suicide, documents released under the Freedom of Information Act confirmed that J. Edgar Hoover had personally overseen his surveillance—and it was extensive. The investigative report spanned 127 pages, revealing that Hemingway’s fears were justified: the FBI had been tapping his phones, tailing his car, and scrutinizing his finances.

Why was the FBI targeting America’s most celebrated author? J. Edgar Hoover harbored a general distrust of writers, as seen in his persecution of George Steinbeck, whom he subjected to constant audits out of spite. Hoover feared Hemingway due to his fame, public admiration, and connections to Cuba. While Hoover’s concerns about Hemingway were valid, they were likely misplaced, because...