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Famous Trials #9
Famous Trials 9: Roger Casement
Famous trials 9: Roger Casement (Ninth Series) (Penguin Crime 2124 First edition)
233 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
2 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
H. Montgomery Hyde
69 books11 followersHarford Montgomery Hyde was born on 14 August 1907 in Belfast, the son of James Johnstone Hyde and Isobel Greenfield (née Montgomery). He was educated at Sedbergh School; Queen's University, Belfast (where he gained a first class History degree); then at Magdalen College Oxford (where he gained a second class law degree). He was called to the bar in 1934. From 1935-1939, Hyde was librarian and Private Secretary to the 7th Marquess of Londonderry. In 1939 he married Dorothy Mabel Brayshaw Crofts (divorced 1952).
During World War II, Hyde held several positions. He served as an Assistant Censor in Gibraltar (1940) and was commissioned in the intelligence corps and engaged in counter-espionage work in the United States under Sir William Stephenson, Director of British Security Co-ordination in the Western Hemisphere (whose life Hyde published as "The Quiet Canadian" in 1962). He was also Military Liaison and Security Officer, Bermuda (1940-41); Assistant Passport Control Officer, New York (1941-2); with British Army Staff, USA (1942-4); attached to the Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (1944) and then to the Allied Commission for Austria (1944-5).
Hyde was the Assistant Editor of the Law Reports (1946-7), then Legal Adviser to the British Lion Film Corporation Ltd (1947-9). From 1950-59 he was a Unionist MP for East Belfast and was the UK Delegate to the Council of Europe Consultative Assembly in Strasbourg (1952-5). From 1958-61 Hyde was an Honorary Colonel of the Intelligence Corps (Territorial Army), Northern Ireland. After losing his parliamentary seat, Hyde was Professor of History and Political Science at the University of the Punjab in Lahore (1959-61).
In 1955, Hyde married his second wife Mary Eleanor Fischer. The marriage was dissolved in 1966 and he married Rosalind Roberts Dimond. He died on August 10 1989.
Hyde wrote a great many books on a wide variety of subjects including "The Rise of Castlereagh" (1933); "The Quiet Canadian" (1962); "Cynthia" (1962) and "Secret Intelligence Agent" (1982).
The held at Churchill Archives Centre chiefly consist of the papers and letters Montgomery Hyde collected and generated in the course of writing three of his books: "The Quiet Canadian" (a biography of Sir William Stephenson, Director of British Security Co-ordination in the Western Hemisphere, 1940-46); "Cynthia" (a biography of the British agent Elizabeth (Pack) Brousse); and "Secret Intelligence Agent" (which included descriptions of his own wartime experiences). The collection also includes papers and letters relating to Hyde's work in Censorship and Security in Gibraltar, Bermuda and the USA during the Second World War; and in the legal division of the Allied Control Commission in Austria.
During World War II, Hyde held several positions. He served as an Assistant Censor in Gibraltar (1940) and was commissioned in the intelligence corps and engaged in counter-espionage work in the United States under Sir William Stephenson, Director of British Security Co-ordination in the Western Hemisphere (whose life Hyde published as "The Quiet Canadian" in 1962). He was also Military Liaison and Security Officer, Bermuda (1940-41); Assistant Passport Control Officer, New York (1941-2); with British Army Staff, USA (1942-4); attached to the Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (1944) and then to the Allied Commission for Austria (1944-5).
Hyde was the Assistant Editor of the Law Reports (1946-7), then Legal Adviser to the British Lion Film Corporation Ltd (1947-9). From 1950-59 he was a Unionist MP for East Belfast and was the UK Delegate to the Council of Europe Consultative Assembly in Strasbourg (1952-5). From 1958-61 Hyde was an Honorary Colonel of the Intelligence Corps (Territorial Army), Northern Ireland. After losing his parliamentary seat, Hyde was Professor of History and Political Science at the University of the Punjab in Lahore (1959-61).
In 1955, Hyde married his second wife Mary Eleanor Fischer. The marriage was dissolved in 1966 and he married Rosalind Roberts Dimond. He died on August 10 1989.
Hyde wrote a great many books on a wide variety of subjects including "The Rise of Castlereagh" (1933); "The Quiet Canadian" (1962); "Cynthia" (1962) and "Secret Intelligence Agent" (1982).
The held at Churchill Archives Centre chiefly consist of the papers and letters Montgomery Hyde collected and generated in the course of writing three of his books: "The Quiet Canadian" (a biography of Sir William Stephenson, Director of British Security Co-ordination in the Western Hemisphere, 1940-46); "Cynthia" (a biography of the British agent Elizabeth (Pack) Brousse); and "Secret Intelligence Agent" (which included descriptions of his own wartime experiences). The collection also includes papers and letters relating to Hyde's work in Censorship and Security in Gibraltar, Bermuda and the USA during the Second World War; and in the legal division of the Allied Control Commission in Austria.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 12, 2012
A sad and haunting story of a man who served the UK so well during his early career only to turn into an enemy in defence of his Irish people and their continued search for freedom from the UK. It is said that hard cases make bad law. Perhaps the greatest proof of that aphorism was the definition of "High Treason" that was enthroned by the very clever but rather pompous Attorney General, F.E. Smith, which ensured Casement's conviction and sealed his doom.
As a postscript, it is almost poetic that a century after this pathetic end to a promising life the Queen of Great Britain was received at the beginning of her trip to Ireland in 2011 at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel (named after this Irish hero).
As a postscript, it is almost poetic that a century after this pathetic end to a promising life the Queen of Great Britain was received at the beginning of her trip to Ireland in 2011 at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel (named after this Irish hero).
August 31, 2011
A couple of pairings/back-to-backs that suggest themselves:
* This and Joe Orton's diaries - as the extract from Casement's Black Diaries as an appendix here seems about as fantasical as Joe's romps in 60s London, the product of a schoolboy's sexuality
* This and Hidden Agenda (Martin Allen) - what does Casement's so-called treachery look like in comparison to the Duke of Windsor's (Edward VIII) treachery in World War 2?
I've embarked on the latter route - blog post to follow on www.arkangel.tv
Has the narrative drive of a novel with all the much-loved characteristics of a courtroom drama.
* This and Joe Orton's diaries - as the extract from Casement's Black Diaries as an appendix here seems about as fantasical as Joe's romps in 60s London, the product of a schoolboy's sexuality
* This and Hidden Agenda (Martin Allen) - what does Casement's so-called treachery look like in comparison to the Duke of Windsor's (Edward VIII) treachery in World War 2?
I've embarked on the latter route - blog post to follow on www.arkangel.tv
Has the narrative drive of a novel with all the much-loved characteristics of a courtroom drama.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews