It was the tenth best-selling novel for 1918 in the United States, and also made into a British film of the same name in 1921.

He was educated at Westminster School (Scholar), London, and at Christ Church, Oxford (Exhibitioner).

[2] After graduation, he taught briefly at Westminster School but found teaching uncongenial.

[1] The partly autobiographical While I Remember (1921) conveys a flavour of McKenna's early years, including his time at Oxford.

For a considerable portion of his adult life he lived at 11 Stone Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, London.