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James Lees-Milne Complete Diaries
Holy Dread: Diaries, 1982-1984
In the ninth volume of James Lees-Milne's diaries, the ardour towards their eventual editor "M", has cooled to a more durable tenderness. There is no change however, in the sharpness of his observation. While his bride's finger waits outstretched Kenneth Clark discusses appreciatively with the priest the Coptic wedding ring he has chosen. An old and demanding Hillaire Belloc sets himself alight and has to be rolled on the bathroom floor. Diana Mosley tells how the Kaiser, visiting Eton, asked to have a boy "swished" for his entertainment. Zita Jungman, a former "Bright Young Thing" of the 20s, is so far behind with her newspaper reading that she learns months later that she has become a widow. As always, death is a major character. "Master", the Lees-Milnes' ducal landlord, is dug up by hunt protesters following his burial. After walking across fields in driving rain to the funeral of John Betjeman - "the best man who ever lived and the most lovable" - Lees-Milne sits in the almost pitch dark church, just able to read the prayers by the light of a single window. He himself hopes to die to the music of "Orfeo".
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
24 people want to read
About the author
James Lees-Milne
81 books20 followersJames Lees-Milne (1908-1997) was an English writer and expert on country houses.
Biography
He was a noted biographer and historian, and is also considered one of the twentieth century's great diarists. He came from a family of landed gentry and grew up in Worcestershire. He attended Lockers Park Prep School, Eton and Oxford University. In 1936 he was appointed secretary of the Country House Committee of the National Trust, and he held that position until 1950 apart from a period of military service from 1939-1941. He was instrumental in the first large scale transfer of country houses from private ownership to the Trust. After resigning his full-time position in 1950 he continued his connection with the National Trust as a part time architectural consultant.
He resided on the Badminton Estate in Gloucestershire for most of his later years while working in William Thomas Beckford's library at Lansdown Crescent at Bath. He was a friend of many of the most prominent British intellectual and social figures of his day, including Nancy Mitford, Harold Nicolson (about whom he wrote a two-volume biography), and Cyril Connolly. He married Alvilde Chaplin, formerly Bridges, a prominent gardening and landscape expert, in 1951.
From 1947 Lees-Milne published a series of architectural works aimed primarily at the general reader. He was also a diarist, and his diaries were published in many volumes and were well received, in later years attracting a cult following. His other works included several biographies and an autobiographical novel.
Biography
He was a noted biographer and historian, and is also considered one of the twentieth century's great diarists. He came from a family of landed gentry and grew up in Worcestershire. He attended Lockers Park Prep School, Eton and Oxford University. In 1936 he was appointed secretary of the Country House Committee of the National Trust, and he held that position until 1950 apart from a period of military service from 1939-1941. He was instrumental in the first large scale transfer of country houses from private ownership to the Trust. After resigning his full-time position in 1950 he continued his connection with the National Trust as a part time architectural consultant.
He resided on the Badminton Estate in Gloucestershire for most of his later years while working in William Thomas Beckford's library at Lansdown Crescent at Bath. He was a friend of many of the most prominent British intellectual and social figures of his day, including Nancy Mitford, Harold Nicolson (about whom he wrote a two-volume biography), and Cyril Connolly. He married Alvilde Chaplin, formerly Bridges, a prominent gardening and landscape expert, in 1951.
From 1947 Lees-Milne published a series of architectural works aimed primarily at the general reader. He was also a diarist, and his diaries were published in many volumes and were well received, in later years attracting a cult following. His other works included several biographies and an autobiographical novel.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 23, 2019
Continued attending and and hosting dinners, luncheons and events. Too much of his sexual thoughts - i.e. while on a vacation trip on safari he is attracted by "...a bush tracker, a rifle across his golden hairy sunburnt naked knees." Many visits to the dying and funerals of friends and associates. In his mid 70’s he continues non-stop with his writing, traveling, social schedule even with many health issues. Not a good man but very different, interesting life.
June 20, 2017
Another good James.
September 12, 2023
Wow, this is the nineth volume of diaries I have read by James Lees-Milne. I started in January 2022....takes me about two months per volume. I have 4 more to go, then I will probably start all over again. They are interesting to read...what a character!
I took about 10 or more pages of notes...things that made me laugh or that particularly interested me for one reason or another.
Here are some of the notes I wrote down for one reason or another:
• He (James Lee-Milne) read Middlemarch for the third time in his life. I have yet to read it once, but plan on doing that either this year or the next God willing.
• Lees-Milne is about 73 years old now. And he is very hard of hearing. He was talking with a certain person, John Hadfield, at a party and Hadfield had already introduced himself. But Lees-Milne didn’t hear him. In the middle of the conversation, Lees-Milne asked Hadfield if John Hadfield was still alive. John Hadfield said, “But I am John Hadfield.” Oops! 😂
• A friend of his, John, who is very old and decrepit is in a very bad way. Here he describes this old man walking. “While Elizabeth supported John’s shoulders, the monk gently kicked John’s feet. Thus they dragged him, bent sideways like a telephone pole half blown over.”
• His wife Alvilde is a noted designer of gardens. She was asked by Mick Jagger to build a garden for him in one of his residences in France! 😮
• Lees-Milne is reflecting on the diaries from the 1940s that have now been published in the 1980s....: “...wish I had never published these bloody diaries. Can’t think what came over me.” (JimZ: He is thinking this because of his ‘foolish and impertinent anecdotes and criticisms’.) ...Someone asked if I could possibly have a friend left in the world after the things I wrote about them, or were they all dead?” He worked for the National Trust from 1936 to 1973, and the National Trust had a bookstore on their premises, and they refused to have any of Lees-Milne’s publications on the premises!
• Description of a man he knows: “He was the ugliest man I knew, with his sparse red hair, great goggly eyes, blind as a bat, thickset lenses, and a pasty, puffy face.” Yeesh!
Short bio on James Lees-Milne:
• James Henry Lees-Milne was an English writer and expert on country houses, who worked for the National Trust from 1936 to 1973. He was an architectural historian, novelist and biographer. His extensive diaries remain in print. (from Wikipedia, longer version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_L... )
Reviews (they are quite short):
• https://www.thefreelibrary.com/James+...
• https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/0...
I took about 10 or more pages of notes...things that made me laugh or that particularly interested me for one reason or another.
Here are some of the notes I wrote down for one reason or another:
• He (James Lee-Milne) read Middlemarch for the third time in his life. I have yet to read it once, but plan on doing that either this year or the next God willing.
• Lees-Milne is about 73 years old now. And he is very hard of hearing. He was talking with a certain person, John Hadfield, at a party and Hadfield had already introduced himself. But Lees-Milne didn’t hear him. In the middle of the conversation, Lees-Milne asked Hadfield if John Hadfield was still alive. John Hadfield said, “But I am John Hadfield.” Oops! 😂
• A friend of his, John, who is very old and decrepit is in a very bad way. Here he describes this old man walking. “While Elizabeth supported John’s shoulders, the monk gently kicked John’s feet. Thus they dragged him, bent sideways like a telephone pole half blown over.”
• His wife Alvilde is a noted designer of gardens. She was asked by Mick Jagger to build a garden for him in one of his residences in France! 😮
• Lees-Milne is reflecting on the diaries from the 1940s that have now been published in the 1980s....: “...wish I had never published these bloody diaries. Can’t think what came over me.” (JimZ: He is thinking this because of his ‘foolish and impertinent anecdotes and criticisms’.) ...Someone asked if I could possibly have a friend left in the world after the things I wrote about them, or were they all dead?” He worked for the National Trust from 1936 to 1973, and the National Trust had a bookstore on their premises, and they refused to have any of Lees-Milne’s publications on the premises!
• Description of a man he knows: “He was the ugliest man I knew, with his sparse red hair, great goggly eyes, blind as a bat, thickset lenses, and a pasty, puffy face.” Yeesh!
Short bio on James Lees-Milne:
• James Henry Lees-Milne was an English writer and expert on country houses, who worked for the National Trust from 1936 to 1973. He was an architectural historian, novelist and biographer. His extensive diaries remain in print. (from Wikipedia, longer version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_L... )
Reviews (they are quite short):
• https://www.thefreelibrary.com/James+...
• https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/0...
December 7, 2025
I love the diaries but can’t bring myself to give this one five stars because I feel that Lees-Milne should have become enlightened enough by the 1980s to not use racist language. It yanked me out of enjoying this book a few times. If it weren’t for that, I’d be giving them 20 stars! I still find these diaries so addictive.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews