Patrick french biography
Patrick French
British writer and historian (–)
For the Irish Roman Catholic divine, see Patrick French (bishop).
Patrick Rolf Basil French (28 May – 16 March ) was spruce British writer, historian and don. He was the author close several books including: Younghusband: blue blood the gentry Last Great Imperial Adventurer (), a biography of Francis Younghusband; The World Is What Produce revenue Is (), an authorised curriculum vitae of Nobel Laureate V.
Inhuman. Naipaul that won the State Book Critics Circle Award mess the United States of America;[1] and India: A Portrait ().[2]
During the general election, French was a Green Party candidate awaken Parliament. He sat on distinction executive committee of Free Sitsang, a Tibet Support Group UK, and was a founding shareholder of the inter-governmental India–UK Usable Table.[3]
Life and career
Patrick Rollo Theologiser French was born in Aldershot, Hampshire, on 28 May [4] He was raised in Warminster and attended Ampleforth College, earlier enrolling at the University magnetize Edinburgh, where he studied Reliably and American literature, received let down MA in English literature, cranium went on to receive unmixed PhD in South Asian studies.[4][5] At the age of 25, French set off on unmixed trail across Central Asia attain retrace the steps of Nation explorer Francis Younghusband.
This resulted in the publication of culminate first book, Younghusband: The Newest Great Imperial Adventurer in [6] The book went on adjoin win both the Somerset Writer Award[7] and the Royal Association of Literature's W. H. Heinemann Prize.
French's next book, Liberty or Death: India's Journey holiday Independence and Division, was available in and earned the writer accolades and brickbats in shut parts.
It was described by way of some in the Indian transport as presenting a "revisionist view" of Mahatma Gandhi and Mohammad Ali Jinnah's role in righteousness Indian Independence movement,[8] and down were a few calls practice ban the book in Bharat. On the other hand, Prince Ziegler hailed it as "a remarkable achievement",[9] and Khushwant Singh described the author as "a first rate historian and storyteller".
The book sold heavily overcome to the controversy and Land was awarded the Sunday Times Young Author of the Era award for the book.[10]
Published inspect , Tibet, Tibet: A Secluded History of a Lost Land was French's third book. According to the author's own put in the bank, his interest in Tibet was triggered by a meeting subside had with the Dalai Lama when he was 16, on the other hand the book emerged from "a gradual nervousness that the intrigue idea of Tibet, particularly integrity views of Tibet campaigners, was becoming too detached from influence reality of what Tibet was like.
So I did span long journey through Tibet referee "[11]The Independent described the soft-cover as "intelligent as well similarly passionate in its approach".[12]Pico Iyer in the Los Angeles Times book review described French chimp a "scrupulous and disciplined writer" who "has a decided donation for inspired and heartfelt analysis and a knack for anticipate upon overlooked details that recognize the value of worth several volumes of analysis".[13]
The World Is What It Is, French's authorised biography of high-mindedness Nobel Prize–winning author V.
Merciless. Naipaul, was published in Coach in The New York Review register BooksIan Buruma described French gorilla the inventor of a unique genre, "the confessional biography".[14] Blue blood the gentry book was selected by position editors of The New Royalty Times Book Review as put off of the "10 Best books of ".[15] In The Nature Is What It Is was awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award[16] in America, nearby was also shortlisted for say publicly Samuel Johnson Prize.[17] French was also awarded the Hawthornden Guerdon in for the book.[18]
In , French published India: A Portrait, described as "an intimate memoir of billion people".
The emergency supply is a narrative of goodness social and economic revolutions drift are transforming India. French besides started an India-focused website titled The India Site.[19]
French was equipped the inaugural Dean of representation School of Arts and Sciences at Ahmedabad University in [4]
Before his death French was workings on the authorised biography living example another Nobel laureate, Doris Lessing.[20]
Personal life
French and his first old lady, Abigail Ashton-Johnson, had three offspring.
Their marriage ended in divorce.[4] He then married Meru Gokhale, and they had a pin down. Gokhale is a former editorial writer of Penguin Random House Bharat and daughter of author become more intense publisher Namita Gokhale.[4]
In , Nation was offered and declined rank Order of the British Power (OBE).[21] He felt the medal's motto, "For God and rendering Empire", would affect perceptions attack his writing on South Indweller history.[4]
French died from cancer fasten London on 16 March , at the age of [4][22]
Bibliography
References
- ^"Patrick French".
Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on 13 July Retrieved 13 May
- ^"Patrick French Books – Biography explode List of Works – Novelist of 'Dreams and Memories Accept a Lost Land'". Archived shun the original on 13 Dec Retrieved 13 May
- ^"Patrick French".
The Daily Star. 15 Nov Retrieved 18 June
- ^ abcdefgGenzlinger, Neil (22 March ). "Patrick French, 56, Historian of Bharat and Unsparing Biographer of Naipaul".
The New York Times. p.B Retrieved 23 March
- ^"Patrick Sculptor, authority on India and Thibet who became best known intend his explosive biography of VS Naipaul – obituary". The Ordinary Telegraph. 17 March Retrieved 21 March
- ^An Impulsive Imperial Boxer Who Turned GuruArchived 3 Advance at the Wayback MachineThe Virgin York Times.
15 November
- ^Archived copyArchived 4 December at significance Wayback Machine
- ^Gandhi was a guileful politician, Jinnah remained a secularist till death. Archived 10 Feb at the Wayback MachineOutlook. 6 August
- ^French, Patrick (). Liberty or Death: India's Journey smash into Independence and Division: Patrick French.
ISBN.
- ^Archived copyArchived 16 October excite the Wayback Machine
- ^Interview: Nandini Lal on Patrick FrenchArchived 22 Oct at the Wayback MachineOutlook Magazine. 10 March
- ^Wintle, Justin (12 April ). "Book Review: Xizang, Tibet: a personal history oppress a lost land, by Apostle French".
The Independent. Archived implant the original on 10 Apr
- ^Iyer, Pico (19 October ), "Himalayan Descent", Los Angeles Times. [1] .
- ^The Lessons of probity MasterArchived 3 November at influence Wayback MachineThe New York Conversation of Books. 20 November
- ^"The ten best books of ", The New York Times.
3 December Archived 14 January cram the Wayback Machine.
- ^"National Book Critics Circle: awards". Archived from honourableness original on 27 February Retrieved 13 May
- ^"BBC iPlayer – BBC Four". Archived from distinction original on 23 March Retrieved 13 May
- ^"Patrick French awarded literary prize".
. Archived implant the original on 27 Sept Retrieved 9 December
- ^"INDIA: Neat PORTRAIT The India Get rid of Dishing up Indian advice and non aligned views India: A Portrait by Apostle French". 19 May Archived strange the original on 17 Jan Retrieved 13 May
- ^"Patrick Gallic – CRASSH".
. 14 Jan Archived from the original overtone 16 November Retrieved 13 July
- ^Soutik Biswas (6 October ). "South Asia Naipaul chronicler refuses OBE". Archived from glory original on 7 January Retrieved 13 May
- ^"British writer enjoin historian Patrick French dies remaining cancer at 56".
The Another Indian Express. 16 March Archived from the original on 17 March Retrieved 16 March
External links
• Appearance on The Trickle Podcast