Category Archives: Essays, Articles & Reviews

Biography of Orwell’s 1984

Posted on July 21, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

Today’s New York Times reviews what it describes as a biography of George Orwell’s novel 1984. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the novel’s publication on  8 June 1949 in London and a week later in New York. The book’s … Continue reading →

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Father’s Day Roundup

Posted on June 16, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

–In response to the feverish political activity in London, The Independent newspaper has composed a list of the Top 10 fictional Prime Ministers. While no Waugh character makes the top 10, he is awarded an Honourable Mention: Honourable mentions for … Continue reading →

Posted in Brideshead Revisited, Essays, Articles & Reviews, Newspapers, Remote People, Vile Bodies | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Father’s Day Roundup

Weedon Grossmith (d. 14 June 1919)

Posted on June 14, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

Weedon Grossmith, best known as the co-author of The Diary of a Nobody (1892) died 100 years ago today. His collaborator was his brother George Grossmith who died in 1912. They were both also successful stage performers and wrote scripts … Continue reading →

Posted in Anniversaries, Complete Works, Essays, Articles & Reviews, Evelyn Waugh, Evelyn Waugh Studies, Newspapers | Tagged , | Comments Off on Weedon Grossmith (d. 14 June 1919)

Mother’s Day Roundup

Posted on May 12, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

–The Washington Post has an op-ed article by Anne Applebaum that opens with this comparison between Donald Trump and Lord Copper from Waugh’s novel Scoop: “A few sharp victories, some conspicuous acts of personal bravery on the Patriot side and … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Photography & Sculpture, Essays, Articles & Reviews, Labels, Newspapers, Scoop, Wine in Peace and War | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Mother’s Day Roundup

“American Epoch” Revisited

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

In an article posted on the weblog, The Just Third Way, Michael Greaney discusses Waugh’s 1949 Life magazine article on the Roman Catholic Church in America. Greaney introduces the subject with a brief reference to several critics of the Church … Continue reading →

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Cinco de Mayo Roundup

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

Today is Cinco de Mayo which celebrates the victory of Mexico over the French Empire in 1862 at the Battle of Puebla. The Mexicans lost to the French about a year later but still mark this victory of their smaller … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Auberon Waugh, Black Mischief, Brideshead Revisited, Decline and Fall, Essays, Articles & Reviews, Robbery Under Law, Sword of Honour | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Cinco de Mayo Roundup

Norman Douglas: Forgotten Author?

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

An article about writer Norman Douglas (noted pedophile) has been inspired by the flurry of activity stirred up by a recent HBO documentary about the posthumous reputation of the singer Michael Jackson. This is by the author of a forthcoming … Continue reading →

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Waugh’s Ash Wednesday in New Orleans

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

Blogger Amy Welborn, a free-lance writer of books on religious subjects, posted an interesting article yesterday (Ash Wednesday) about Evelyn Waugh’s trips to America in the 1940s. This is on her weblog “Charlotte was Both.” It begins with a quote … Continue reading →

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Compton Mackenzie Reconsidered

Posted on February 24, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

In the wake of the recent New Statesman essay seeking to revive an interest in JB Priestley, the latest New Criterion has published one seeking to create a renewed interest in another neglected novelist of the same period. This is … Continue reading →

Posted in Brideshead Revisited, Decline and Fall, Essays, Articles & Reviews, Newspapers, Oxford | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Compton Mackenzie Reconsidered

J B Priestley Revival?

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

The New Statesman has a feature article this week promoting a revival of novelist and playwright J B Priestley. This is by Michael Henderson who writes that Priestley has fallen out of fashion along with such other formerly popular writers … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Articles & Reviews, Newspapers, The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold | Tagged , , | 1 Comment