Author Archives: Jeffrey Manley

Radiohead Musician A Waugh Fan

In a recent Guardian interview, Radiohead lead guitarist Johnny Greenwood named Evelyn Waugh’s Sword of Honour as his favorite audiobook. He says he was introduced to Waugh’s work by reading Clive James, who he credits with helping him complete his … Continue reading

Posted in Audiobooks, Sword of Honour, World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Radiohead Musician A Waugh Fan

In the Tradition of Waugh

Lawrence Osborne (b. 1958) is a British novelist and travel writer who is frequently compared to Waugh by his reviewers. The latest example is a review in the Irish Examiner of Osborne’s third novel, The Ballad of a Small Player, on the … Continue reading

Posted in Sightings, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments Off on In the Tradition of Waugh

Evelyn Waugh and Middle Age

In a recent column in The Independent, D.J. Taylor describes the evolution of the concept of middle age. He invokes the writings of Evelyn Waugh to illustrate the attitude toward middle age of those bright young people who were young adults in … Continue reading

Posted in Articles, Essays, Articles & Reviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Evelyn Waugh and Middle Age

Evelyn Waugh’s Old Neighborhood

This week’s Observer ran an article about the recent transformation of the borough of Islington from the London home of New Labour’s founder Tony Blair to a district that now seems to be exemplified by a movement to revert the Labour Party to … Continue reading

Posted in Locations, London | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Evelyn Waugh’s Old Neighborhood

Evelyn=Basil and Audrey=Angela

Duncan McLaren, author of Evelyn! Rhapsody for an Obsessive Love, has given us the results of another of his ambitious research projects and much to think about. He follows the trajectory of the relationship between Waugh and Audrey Lucas, which … Continue reading

Posted in Black Mischief | Tagged , | Comments Off on Evelyn=Basil and Audrey=Angela

Waugh Letter Read on Video by Geoffrey Palmer

Waugh’s 1942 letter to his wife recounting the Commando’s farcical attempt to remove a tree stump from the estate of an aristocrat near their training base in Scotland is read out to great humorous effect by TV actor Geoffrey Palmer. … Continue reading

Posted in Letters | Tagged , | Comments Off on Waugh Letter Read on Video by Geoffrey Palmer

Evelyn Waugh in Country Life

Country Life magazine has published a list of 60 things that make Britain great. No. 43 is the public school: Ever since William of Wykeham set up his college for poor scholars in Winchester more than 600 years ago, these … Continue reading

Posted in Decline and Fall | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Evelyn Waugh in Country Life

Spectator Competition

The Spectator‘s correspondent Lucy Vickery has set a competition for writing a short message in the style of one of four writers suggested by Michael Gove, Secretary of State, formerly for Education and now for Justice, as models for civil servants. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments Off on Spectator Competition

Express TV Critic Rewatches Brideshead

The 1980s TV series of Brideshead Revisited was recently rebroadcast by ITV Encore and is still available on an online “catch up” site which may require a subscription fee and UK internet connection. The Sunday Express TV critic, David Stephenson, chose … Continue reading

Posted in Brideshead Revisited, Television, Television Programs | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Express TV Critic Rewatches Brideshead

Waugh at the Ashes

Waugh gets quoted in the Guardian’s report of the opening ceremony of the Ashes Test Cricket Match in Cardiff. The reporter (Barney Ronay) is complaining about the lengthy opening ceremony which kicked off with a rain-sodden male-voice choir singing not one, not two … Continue reading

Posted in Decline and Fall | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Waugh at the Ashes