Category Archives: World War II

Waugh’s Christmas in Yugoslavia: 1944

Posted on December 25, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

Waugh spent Christmas in Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, where he was sent after Belgrade fell to the Russians and Partisans. This is the 75th anniversary of that holiday celebration. He had to travel via Bari in Italy and arrived a few days … Continue reading →

Posted in Anniversaries, Brideshead Revisited, Diaries, Letters, World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Waugh’s Christmas in Yugoslavia: 1944

TLS: Cities and Writers/Officers and Novelists

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

A few weeks ago, the TLS published an article by novelist William Boyd (“Footless giant: A visit to Kafka’s Prague”) about his recent trip to that city. It opens with this: …it being Prague, my thoughts turn almost instantly to … Continue reading →

Posted in Brideshead Revisited, Newspapers, Officers and Gentlemen, Oxford, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on TLS: Cities and Writers/Officers and Novelists

Evelyn and Randolph in WWII Yugoslavia

Posted on December 7, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

In the new issue of the collected lectures of the British Studies seminar at the Unversity of Texas, there is a lecture entitled “Evelyn Waugh and Randolph Churchill in Yugoslavia”. This is by biographer and literary critic Jeffrey Meyers who … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Lectures, World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Evelyn and Randolph in WWII Yugoslavia

75th Anniversary of Brideshead Airdrop

Posted on November 20, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

75 years ago today, the page proofs of Brideshead Revisited were dropped by parachute into Yugoslavia and retrieved by Evelyn Waugh. This event is recorded in his diary entry for Monday, 20 November 1944 (Diaries, p. 592). This is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Anniversaries, Brideshead Revisited, Diaries, Evelyn Waugh, World War II | Tagged | Comments Off on 75th Anniversary of Brideshead Airdrop

Early October Roundup

Posted on October 4, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

–In the current issue of TLS, writer Henry Hitchins reviews the two recent collections of the writings of Auberon Waugh. The review, entitled “Like a fine whine”, opens with this: “Looking back over my career to date, and at all … Continue reading →

Posted in A Handful of Dust, Adaptations, Anniversaries, Auberon Waugh, Black Mischief, Film, Newspapers, Put Out More Flags, Sword of Honour, Television, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Early October Roundup

Wodehouse Memorial Dedicated in Westminster Abbey

Posted on September 21, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

Several papers carry the story of the dedication yesterday of a memorial plaque to P G Wodehouse in Westminster Abbey. This is from the Financial Times: Nestled above playwright Noël Coward and to the right of broadcaster Richard Dimbleby, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Newspapers, World War II | Tagged , | 1 Comment

New French Edition of Waugh Wartime Diary

Posted on September 10, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

Later this week an edition of Waugh’s wartime diaries in French translation will be published. This is entitled Journal de guerre (1939-1945). It is translated by Julia Mayle and published by Les Belles Lettres. Boldly featured on the bottom of … Continue reading →

Posted in Diaries, Evelyn Waugh, World War II | Tagged | Comments Off on New French Edition of Waugh Wartime Diary

80th Anniversary of WWII

Posted on September 1, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

Today marks the 80th anniversary of the beginning of WWII when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. The attack fulfilled Evelyn Waugh’s expectations that a war was imminent after Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact the previous week. See … Continue reading →

Posted in Anniversaries, Diaries, Put Out More Flags, Work Suspended, World War II | Comments Off on 80th Anniversary of WWII

Basil Seal Rides Yet Again

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

The Daily Telegraph has a review of a book entitled Master of Deception: The Wartime Adventures of Peter Fleming by Alan Ogden. This is about something called D Division (or “deception organization”) in the Inter-Services Liaison Department. Peter Fleming, Ian’s older … Continue reading →

Posted in Basil Seal Rides Again, Diaries, Evelyn Waugh, Letters, Newspapers, Put Out More Flags, Sword of Honour, World War II | Tagged , | Comments Off on Basil Seal Rides Yet Again

Roundup: Witchcraft and Victory

Posted on August 26, 2019 by Jeffrey Manley

–The Daily Telegraph reviews a new history of witchcraft since 1800 entitled Cursed Britain by Thomas Waters. The review is by Robert Leigh-Pemberton and opens with this: The “Swahili witch doctor”, installed in rooms “off the Edgware Road” by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Adaptations, Brideshead Revisited, Humo(u)r, Newspapers, Radio Programs, Scoop, Sword of Honour, The Loved One, Unconditional Surrender/The End of the Battle, World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Roundup: Witchcraft and Victory