The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.
—L.P. Hartley
R. Scott Williams
Scott Williams is dedicated to uncovering the forgotten stories of those who helped shape American history and popular culture. He is the author of biographies on adventurer Richard Halliburton, pioneering entertainment reporter Odd McIntyre and American folk hero David Crockett. Coming this fall is his newest biography, a deep dive into the life of Memphis founder Marcus Winchester.
Townmania: Marcus Winchester and the Making of Memphis
Coming to Amazon and select bookstores November 21, 2025.
Meticulously researched and filled with new information and insight, “Townmania: Marcus Winchester and the Making of Memphis” brings to life a fascinating cast of early Memphians including flatboat pilots, fur traders, Native Americans, the enslaved, enslavers, abolitionists and politicians. It reframes the birth of a Southern metropolis through the lens of Marcus Winchester, the man who helped shape it, only to be cast out by some in the very community he helped create.
Receive an update when “Townmania” is available for purchase or when book talks are scheduled.
Twenty questions with author Scott Williams about Marcus Winchester and “Townmania”
In a city shaped by legends, it’s easy to overlook the man who helped build the stage for them all. In “Townmania: Marcus Winchester and the Making of Memphis,” author Scott Williams masterfully resurrects one of the city’s most overlooked figures and offers readers a sweeping portrait of Memphis’s earliest days. What emerges is more than a biography. It’s a cultural portrait that blends politics, race and ambition into a compelling, timely narrative.
Memphis Music
Townmania Playlist
Other Biographies by R. Scott Williams
The Forgotten Adventures of Richard Halliburton: A High-Flying Life from Tennessee to Timbuktu
An Odd Book: How the First Modern Pop Culture Reporter Conquered New York
The Accidental Fame and Lack of Fortune of
West Tennessee’s David Crockett
Townmania:
Marcus Winchester and
the Making of Memphis