Who Was Ernest Hemingway?

Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899-1961) was an American author who wrote some outstanding fiction, including Men Without Women, A Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls.  For Whom the Bell Tolls was written after he visited Spain during the Spanish Civil War.
Hemingway was a very accessible writer in the sense that his books are simply written, but often carry a very powerful message (A Farewell to Arms recounts his experiences when he was serving in Italy, during the First World War.  But it is also a powerful love story).
He was also renowned for being a man who believed passionately in liberty and enjoyed a reputation as a hard drinking, hell raising man who had numerous lovers.  His hobbies included bullfighting, big game hunting and deep sea fishing (and drinking).
He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954, following the publication of 'The Old Man and the Sea'.