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Brendan Bracken
This rare First Edition, HARDBACK, Allen Lane, London, 1979, has an almost mint, unclipped dust jacket that is now protected in an extra, bespoke, clear acid-free slipcover. The cover is black boards with gilt lettering to the spine. The book size is 6.5Ów x 9.5Óh with 33 illustrations, notes, an index and 372 pristine pages on light cream paper. ISBN 0713909692.
372 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1979
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November 16, 2016
A fascinating story of a "fantasist whose fantasies came true".
Born the son of an Irish Fenian, his mother remarried when she was widowed and sent her unmanageable son to Australia with £14 in his pocket.
Returning aged 19, claiming that his parents had died in a bush fire in Australia, Brendan, claiming to be 15 bought a term (and an old school tie) at Sedbergh Grammar School.
He found his way into journalism, and attracted the attention of Winston Churchill, whose side he hardly ever thereafter left.
Elected an MP for Paddington North at age 29, he spent the lonely years of the 1930s in the isolated coterie of WSC. During that time he merged the "Financial News" with the "Financial Times", founded "The Economist" "The Banker" and "History Today".
Appointed Minister for Information during the War, he fought against censorship and for the independence of the BBC. George Orwell worked for him, disliked him and Big Brother in 1984 is thought to have been associated with Bracken by his initials. Evelyn Waugh's character, Rex Mottram in "Brideshead Revisited" as also believed to have been inspired by Bracken.
When Churchill was re-elected Prime Minister in 1951, Bracken refused to join the Cabinet on health grounds. He concentrated instead on his business interests as Chairman of the Union Corporation mining conglomerate. Churchill had him elevated to the House of Lords as Viscount Bracken of Christchurch, although he never attended.
Bracken died in 1958 aged 57. His life story was a challenge to his biographer, as Bracken instructed that all his personal papers be burnt after his death. However, Charles Lysaght rose triumphantly to the challenge along with that of Andrew Boyle who wrote "Poor Dear Brendan", both of them biographies about a man who predicted that "I will die young, and will be forgotten".
Born the son of an Irish Fenian, his mother remarried when she was widowed and sent her unmanageable son to Australia with £14 in his pocket.
Returning aged 19, claiming that his parents had died in a bush fire in Australia, Brendan, claiming to be 15 bought a term (and an old school tie) at Sedbergh Grammar School.
He found his way into journalism, and attracted the attention of Winston Churchill, whose side he hardly ever thereafter left.
Elected an MP for Paddington North at age 29, he spent the lonely years of the 1930s in the isolated coterie of WSC. During that time he merged the "Financial News" with the "Financial Times", founded "The Economist" "The Banker" and "History Today".
Appointed Minister for Information during the War, he fought against censorship and for the independence of the BBC. George Orwell worked for him, disliked him and Big Brother in 1984 is thought to have been associated with Bracken by his initials. Evelyn Waugh's character, Rex Mottram in "Brideshead Revisited" as also believed to have been inspired by Bracken.
When Churchill was re-elected Prime Minister in 1951, Bracken refused to join the Cabinet on health grounds. He concentrated instead on his business interests as Chairman of the Union Corporation mining conglomerate. Churchill had him elevated to the House of Lords as Viscount Bracken of Christchurch, although he never attended.
Bracken died in 1958 aged 57. His life story was a challenge to his biographer, as Bracken instructed that all his personal papers be burnt after his death. However, Charles Lysaght rose triumphantly to the challenge along with that of Andrew Boyle who wrote "Poor Dear Brendan", both of them biographies about a man who predicted that "I will die young, and will be forgotten".
Displaying 1 of 1 review