Lute and Scimitar

Achmed Abdullah (1881 - 1945) was an American short story author, novelist, and screenwriter who claimed to be a descendant of the Russian imperial family, but this remained unconfirmed. His country of origin is also unclear; perhaps he was born in Afghanistan, with Arab and Tartar ancestors. He received an international education in India, England, France, and Germany and became an expert linguist. After his mother poisoned his father, Abdullah was sent to Eton College at Oxford University at age twelve, received his Bachelor of Letters at the Sorbonne in Paris, then went on to serve for seventeen years in the British-Indian and Ottoman armies, attaining the rank of acting Colonel. He migrated to New York City, where he became a writer, playwright, and screenwriter until his death in 1945.