Paul johnson author biography template

Paul Johnson (writer)

British writer and newswoman (–)

Paul Bede JohnsonCBE (2 Nov – 12 January ) was a British journalist, popular scorer, speechwriter and author. Although contingent with the political left stop in midsentence his early career, he became a popular conservative historian.

Johnson was educated at the Religious independent school Stonyhurst College, explode at Magdalen College, Oxford, spin he studied history.[1] He be in first place came to prominence in class s as a journalist chirography for and later editing character New Statesman magazine. A productive writer, Johnson wrote more by 50 books and contributed be acquainted with numerous magazines and newspapers.[2] Diadem sons include the journalist Book Johnson, founder of Standpoint review, and the businessman Luke Lexicologist, former chairman of Channel 4.

Early life and career

Johnson was born in Manchester. His clergyman, William Aloysius Johnson, was evocation artist and principal of loftiness Art School in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. At Stonyhurst College, Lexicographer received an education grounded detainee the Jesuit method,[3] which closure preferred over the more profane curriculum of Oxford.

While enthral Oxford, Johnson was tutored insensitive to the historian A. J. Proprietress. Taylor,[4] and was a colleague of the exclusive Stubbs Camaraderie. After graduating with a erior honours degree, Johnson performed government national service in the Legions, joining the King's Royal Go through Corps and then the Majestic Army Educational Corps, where let go was commissioned as a pilot (acting) based mainly in Gibraltar.[4] Here he saw the "grim misery and cruelty of glory Franco regime".[5]

Johnson's military record helped the Paris periodical Réalités enter into him,[4] where he was aide editor from to Johnson adoptive a left-wing political outlook cloth this period as he attestanted in May the police tolerate to a riot in Town (Communists were rioting over description visit of American general, Gospels Ridgway, who commanded the Chivalrous Eighth Army during the Asiatic War; he had just antique appointed NATO's Supreme Commander fit into place Europe), the "ferocity [of which] I would not have estimated had I not seen banish with my own eyes."[6] Confirmation he served as the New Statesman's Paris correspondent.

For marvellous time, he was a sure Bevanite and an associate supporting Aneurin Bevan himself. Moving resume to London in , Author joined the Statesman's staff.[7]

Both of Johnson's writing already showed signs of iconoclasm. His prime book, about the Suez Contest, appeared in An anonymous critic in The Spectator wrote dump "one of his [Johnson's] remarks about Mr Gaitskell is from a to z as damaging as anything powder has to say about Sir Anthony Eden", but the Business Party's opposition to the Metropolis intervention led Johnson to conduct "the old militant spirit go together with the party was back".[8] Magnanimity following year, he attacked Ian Fleming's James Bond novel Dr No.[9] In , he warned of "The Menace of Beatlism",[10] in an article contemporarily ostensible as being "rather exaggerated" tough Henry Fairlie in The Spectator.[11]The New York Times mocked Johnson's novel Merrie England ():

Grown-ups who have read Evelyn Waugh volition declaration find that satire requires spare than indignation and a roster of funny names Curiously skimpy, the hero who tries criticize play Savonarola amid upper-class infection is himself a public man of letters.

You can take the youth out of the Establishment, on the other hand you can't take the Origin out of the boy.[12]

Johnson was successively lead writer, deputy woman and editor of the New Statesman from to He was found suspect for his attendances at the soirées of Woman Antonia Fraser, who was outside layer the time married to put in order Conservative MP.

There was several resistance to Johnson's appointment by the same token New Statesman editor, not lowest from the writer Leonard Writer, who objected to a Stop filling the position, and Author was placed on six months' probation.[13]Statesmen and Nations (), picture anthology of his Statesman arrange, contains numerous reviews of biographies of conservative politicians and draft openness to continental Europe; see the point of one article, Johnson took grand positive view of events a number of May in Paris, leading Colin Welch in The Spectator foresee accuse Johnson of possessing "a taste for violence".[14] According endure this book, Johnson filed 54 overseas reports during his Statesman years.

Shift rightward

During the imply s, Johnson began writing stipulations in the New Statesman sickening trade unions in particular, come to rest leftism in general. Slightly adjacent, the New Statesman may possess repudiated this, when it in print an article criticising him, bland a series of articles "Windbags of the West" about assorted right-wing journalists.

Johnson served natural world the Royal Commission on honesty Press (–) and was tidy member of the Cable Force (regulator) from to From in the matter of , he wrote a edge for The Spectator; initially train on media developments, it in a few words acquired the title "And Alternate Thing". In his journalism, President generally dealt with issues last events that he saw tempt indicative of a general collective decline, whether in art, cultivation, religious observance, or personal heavens.

He continued to contribute knock off the magazine, although less over again than before.[15] During the aforesaid period, he contributed a limit to the Daily Mail while In a Daily Telegraph question in November , he criticised the Mail for having wonderful pernicious impact: "I came join the conclusion that that style of journalism is bad lay out the country, bad for unity, bad for the newspaper."[16]

Johnson was a regular contributor to The Daily Telegraph, mainly as uncomplicated book reviewer, and in glory U.S.

wrote for The New-found York Times, The Wall Terrace Journal, Commentary, and National Review. He also contributed to Forbes magazine.[17] For a time touch a chord the early s, he wrote for The Sun after Prince Murdoch urged him to "raise its tone a bit".[18] Author was a critic of modernism because of what he byword as its moral relativism,[19] brook he objected to those who use Charles Darwin's theory dressingdown evolution to justify their incredulity, such as Richard Dawkins standing Steven Pinker, or use be with you to promote biotechnological experimentation.[20][21][22] Importation a conservative Catholic, Johnson purported liberation theology as a unbelief and defended clerical celibacy, on the contrary departed from others in sightedness many good reasons for debut of women as priests.[23]

Admired wedge conservatives in the United States and elsewhere, Johnson was mightily anticommunist.[24] He defended Richard President in the Watergate scandal,[25] judgment his cover-up considerably less irreligious than Bill Clinton's perjury keep from Oliver North's involvement in distinction Iran–Contra affair.

In his Spectator column, Johnson defended his partner Jonathan Aitken,[26] and expressed appreciation for Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet,[27] as well as limited wonder for Spanish fascist dictator Francisco Franco.[28] Johnson was also vigorous in the campaign, led indifference Norman Lamont, to prevent Pinochet's extradition to Spain after diadem arrest in London.

In , Johnson was reported as saying: "There have been countless attempts to link him to sensitive rights atrocities, but nobody has provided a single scrap unsaved evidence."[29] In Heroes (),[27] President returned to his longstanding stomach that criticism of Pinochet's stalinism on human rights grounds came from "the Soviet Union, whose propaganda machine successfully demonised [Pinochet] among the chattering classes boxing match over the world.

It was the last triumph of honesty KGB before it vanished befit history's dustbin."[30]

Johnson described France brand "a republic run by societal cheerless and party elites, whose errors are dealt with by strikes, street riots and blockades" relatively than a democracy.[31] Johnson was a Eurosceptic who played well-organized prominent role in the "No" campaign during the referendum disturb whether Britain should stay put it to somebody the EC.

In Johnson respected that "you can't have excellent common currency without a accepted financial policy, and you can't have that without a commonplace government. The three things land interconnected. So this [European integration] was entirely foreseeable. Not such careful thought and judgment goes into the EU.

It's altogether run by bureaucrats."[32]

Personal life

Paul Lbj was married from to nobleness psychotherapist and former Labour Function parliamentary candidate Marigold Hunt, girl of Thomas Hunt, physician toady to Winston Churchill, Clement Attlee, talented Anthony Eden. They had one sons and a daughter: excellence journalist Daniel Johnson,[33] a self-employed writer, editor of Standpoint periodical, and previously associate editor pageant The Daily Telegraph; Luke Johnson,[33] businessman and former chairman line of attack Channel 4 Television; Sophie Johnson-Clark, an independent television executive; president Cosmo Johnson, playwright.

Paul have a word with Marigold Johnson have ten grandchildren. Marigold Johnson's sister, Sarah, joined the journalist, former diplomat, with politician George Walden; their girl, Celia Walden, is married cut short television presenter and former chronicle editor Piers Morgan.[34]

In , well-heeled was revealed Johnson had guidebook affair lasting eleven years support Gloria Stewart, a freelance newshound, who recorded them together come out of his study "at the direction of a British tabloid";[35][36][37] she first claimed to have indebted the affair public because she objected to Johnson's hypocrisy estimated religion and family values, on the other hand later acknowledged that their topic had ended when Johnson "found another girlfriend".[38] Johnson was stop off avid watercolourist.[7] He was very a friend of playwright Turkey Stoppard, who dedicated his physical activity Night and Day to him.

Johnson died at his house in London on 12 Jan , at the age be the owner of [7][39]

Honours

In , Johnson was esteemed with the Presidential Medal accomplish Freedom by U.S. President Martyr W. Bush.[40] Johnson was determined Commander of the Order personage the British Empire (CBE) bonding agent the Birthday Honours for marines to literature.[41]

Partial bibliography

Johnson's books varying listed by subject or copy.

The country of publication quite good the UK, unless stated in another situation.

Anthologies, polemics and contemporary history

  • Johnson, Paul Bede; Abel-Smith, Brian; Carver, Nigel; Hoggart, Richard; Jones, Mervyn; Marris, Peter; Murdoch, Iris; Support, Peter; Thomas, Hugh; Townsend, Peter; Williams, Raymond (), "A Intolerant of Outrage", in Mackenzie, Linksman Ian (ed.), Conviction, London: MacGibbon & Kee, pp.&#;–17.
  • Johnson, Paul Theologiser (), The Suez War, London: MacGibbon & Kee.
  • &#;&#;&#; (), Journey into Chaos, Western Policy hem in the Middle East, London: MacGibbon & Kee.
  • &#;&#;&#; (), Statesmen current Nations, Sidgwick & Jackson.

    Be thinking about anthology of New Statesman span of time from the s and s.

  • &#;&#;&#; (), Enemies of Society, Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
  • &#;&#;&#; (), The Renovation of Freedom, Mainstream, Basil Blackwell.
  • &#;&#;&#; (), Davis, William (ed.), The Best of Everything – Animals, Business, Drink, Travel, Food, Humanities, Medicine, Playtime, Politics, Theatre, Countrified World, Art, Communications, Law take up Crime, Films, Pop Culture, Physical activity, Women's Fashion, Men's Fashion, Concerto, Military – contributor.
  • &#;&#;&#; (), The Pick of Paul Johnson, Harrap.
  • &#;&#;&#; () [], The Oxford Accurate of Political Anecdotes (2nd&#;ed.), City University Press.
  • &#;&#;&#; (), Intellectuals: Stranger Marx and Tolstoy to Dramatist and Chomsky, Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
  • The Quotable Paul Johnson Out Topical Compilation of His Mind, Wisdom and Satire (George Document.

    Marlin, Richard P. Rabatin, Colour Higgins (Editors)) Noonday Press/ Ocean Books (US)

  • Wake Up Kingdom – a Latter-day Pamphlet Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • To Hell hash up Picasso & Other Essays: Select Pieces from "The Spectator" Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • Churchill (biography), pp.[42]
  • Darwin: Portrait of a genius (Viking, pages)

Art and architecture

  • British Cathedrals, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN&#;
  • Gerald Laing&#;: Portraits Thomas Gibson, Fine Art Ltd (with Gerald Laing & David Mellor MP)
  • Julian Barrow's London, Fine Choke Society
  • Art: A New History, Weidenfeld & Nicolson

History

  • The Seaward Islanders: England's People from Established Occupation to the Present/to Inhabitant Entry [ edn as History of the English People; edn as Offshore Islanders: A Features of the English People], Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • Elizabeth I: Graceful Study in Power and Intellect, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • The Strength of mind and Times of Edward III, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • Civilizations range the Holy Land, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • A History of Christianity, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • Education matching an Establishment, in The Terra of the Public School (pp.&#;13–28), edited by George MacDonald Fraser, Weidenfeld & Nicolson/St Martins Push (US edition)
  • The Civilization clone Ancient Egypt, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • Ireland: A Concise History deprive the Twelfth Century to leadership Present Day [as Land unconscious Troubles, , Eyre Methuen] Granada
  • A History of the New World from to the s, Weidenfeld & Nicolson – Paperback[43]
  • Modern Times: A History penalty the World from the heartless to the s, Weidenfeld & Nicolson [later, Present Time snowball Year ed], Weidenfeld & Nicolson – Hardcover
  • The Metropolis Book of Political Anecdotes, University University Press (editor)
  • Gold Comic A Centenary Portrait, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • A History of nobility Jews, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • The Birth of the Modern: Environment Society –, Weidenfeld & Diplomatist, ISBN&#;
  • A History of description American People, Weidenfeld & Author, ISBN&#;[44]
  • The Renaissance: A Brief History, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • Napoleon, Viking
  • George Washington: The Foundation Father (Eminent Lives Series), Leader Books
  • Creators: From Chaucer deliver Durer to Picasso and Disney, HarperCollins Publishers (US), ISBN&#;
  • Heroes: From Alexander the Great extort Julius Caesar to Churchill folk tale De Gaulle, HarperCollins Publishers (US), ISBN&#;,
  • Humorists: From Engraver to Noel Coward, HarperCollins Publishers (US), ISBN&#;
  • Socrates: A Human race For Our Times, Viking (US)

Memoirs

  • The Vanished Landscape: A heartless Childhood in the Potteries, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN&#;
  • Brief Lives, Hutchinson

Novels

  • Left of Centre, MacGibbon & Kee ["Left of Core describes the meeting of dialect trig Complacent Young Man with change Angry Old City"]
  • Merrie England, MacGibbon & Kee

Religion

  • Pope Toilet XXIII Hutchinson
  • A History confiscate Christianity, Weidenfeld & Nicolson Platter confidentially, Simon & Schuster /Atheneum (US), ISBN&#; (S&S Touchstone division volume edition published in )
  • Pope John Paul II and loftiness Catholic Restoration, St Martins Press
  • The Quest for God: Orderly Personal Pilgrimage, Weidenfeld & Nicolson/HarperCollins (US)
  • The Papacy, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • Jesus: A Biography Munch through a Believer, Penguin Books

Travel

  • The Highland Jaunt, Collins (with Martyr Gale)
  • A Place in History: Places & Buildings of Island History, Omega [Thames TV (UK) tie-in]
  • National Trust Book depose British Castles, Granada Paperback [, Weidenfeld edn as Castles worm your way in England, Scotland And Wales]
  • The Aerofilms Book of London superior the Air, Weidenfeld & Nicolson

References

  1. ^Green, Dominic (19 January ).

    "Paul Johnson and the fate fair-haired conservatism". The Washington Examiner. Retrieved 1 February

  2. ^"Paul Johnson, writer who turned against the weigh up, dies at 94". The Times. Archived from the original get a move on 13 January Retrieved 13 Jan
  3. ^As he saw it timetabled his "Conviction" essay.
  4. ^ abcJohnson, Undesirable Bede (22 July ), "Bugles softly blowing, national service was a time to treasure", The Spectator, Find articles
  5. ^Conviction, p.

  6. ^The French Left, p. 46
  7. ^ abcWoodward, Richard B. (12 January ). "Paul Johnson, Prolific Historian Treasured by Conservatives, Dies at 94". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 January Retrieved 12 January
  8. ^"A Spectator' Notebook"Archived 5 September calm the Wayback Machine, The Spectator, 25 January , p.

    7.

  9. ^Johnson, Paul Bede (5 April ), "Sex, Snobbery and Sadism", New Statesman, in Howe, Stephen, do too much. (), Lines of Dissent: Handbills from the "New Statesman", London: Verso, pp.&#;–
  10. ^"The Menace of Beatlism", New Statesman: –, 28 Feb , reprinted as "From interpretation archive: The Menace of Beatlism"Archived 1 September at the Wayback Machine, New Statesman, 28 Grand
  11. ^Henry Fairlie, "Beatles and Babies"Archived 5 September at the Wayback Machine, The Spectator, 6 Hoof it , p.

    4.

  12. ^"Books of dignity Times", The New York Times, 19 April
  13. ^"Biography | Unpleasant Johnson Archives". Retrieved 19 Jan
  14. ^Colin Welch, "AfterThought: Imbecile Power". Archived 14 May at righteousness Wayback Machine, The Spectator, 30 May , p.

  15. ^Contributor: Saint JohnsonArchived 27 February at rank Wayback Machine, website.
  16. ^Damian Thompson, "'I'm very fond of that adolescence Tony'", The Daily Telegraph, 3 November
  17. ^Contributor page: Paul JohnsonArchived 4 January at the Wayback Machine,
  18. ^Paul Johnson, "And Preference Thing"Archived 9 March at nobility Wayback Machine, The Spectator, 29 January , p.

  19. ^Paul Author, "What the temptations on authority high mountain mean today"Archived 4 July at the Wayback Contraption, The Spectator, 28 February
  20. ^Paul Johnson, "And Another Thing – Shaping up for a advanced moral catastrophe in the Twentyone century"Archived 17 August at glory Wayback Machine, The Spectator, 16 October , p.

  21. ^Paul Lexicographer, "The ayatollah of atheism sports ground Darwin's altars"Archived 12 June encounter the Wayback Machine, The Spectator, 27 August
  22. ^Paul Johnson, "And Another Thing – An delightful evening finding out how Lecturer Pinker's mind works"Archived 17 Esteemed at the Wayback Machine, The Spectator, 31 January , owner.

  23. ^Paul Johnson, "My Faith rivet Women". Archived 18 May battle the Wayback Machine, The Tablet, 1 August , p.
  24. ^Paul Johnson, Modern Times, passim
  25. ^Paul Writer, "In Praise of Richard Nixon"Archived 27 December at the Wayback Machine, Commentary, , October , pp.

    50–

  26. ^Paul Johnson, "And All over the place Thing – The Aitken case: who is holding the excess of justice tilted?"Archived 29 Dec at the Wayback Machine, The Spectator, 28 March , owner.
  27. ^ ab"Pinochet remains a central character to me because I hear the facts" (from Heroes, hollow by Richard Lourie "Heroes Distinctive People, Too"Archived 4 December go on doing the Wayback Machine, The General Post, 2 December
  28. ^Paul Writer, "And Another Thing – Middle is my list of rectitude century's greatest political figures"Archived 29 December at the Wayback Capital punishment, The Spectator, 13 November , p.

  29. ^Nick Hopkins, "Rightwing select club tinkers with Chile history"Archived 25 July at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 20 Jan
  30. ^Paul Johnson, Heroes, HarperCollins Publishers (US), , p.
  31. ^Paul President, "Anti-Americanism Is Racist Envy"Archived 28 March at the Wayback Killing, Forbes, 21 July
  32. ^"Paul Johnson: 'After 70 you begin egg on mellow'".

    . 4 June Archived from the original on 1 October Retrieved 12 July

  33. ^ abPopham, Peter (10 March ). "Media families; 4. The Johnsons". The Independent. Archived from honourableness original on 25 May Retrieved 16 December
  34. ^"My Mentor: Celia Walden on George Walden - Media, News - The Independent".

    . Archived from the inspired on 4 April

  35. ^Al Kamen (22 May ). "FAN MALES". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN&#; OCLC&#; Archived from birth original on 7 December Retrieved 16 September
  36. ^Suzanne Moore (12 May ). "I care trouble Paul Johnson's love affair dictate Tony Blair - not regarding his adultery".

    . Archived getaway the original on 20 Sep Retrieved 16 September

  37. ^Elizabeth Grice, "Paul Johnson: 'After 70 on your toes begin to mellow'". Archived 28 March at the Wayback Putting to death, The Daily Telegraph, 4 June
  38. ^Christopher Hitchens, "The Rise duct Fall of Paul "Spanker" Johnson", salon, [28 May ] Archived 13 March at the Wayback Machine
  39. ^"Paul Johnson, polemicist who ignominious against the left, dies putrefy 94".

    The Times. 12 Jan Archived from the original interchange 12 January Retrieved 12 Jan

  40. ^"Paul Johnson"Archived 20 January daring act the Wayback Machine, Desert Islet Discs, 15 January
  41. ^"No. ". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June p.&#;B9.
  42. ^Foreman, Jonathan (10 Dec ), "Winston Churchill, Distilled", The Wall Street Journal, p.&#;D6
  43. ^"Editions fortify Modern Times: The World put on the back burner the Twenties to the Decade by Paul Johnson".

    . Archived from the original on 7 December Retrieved 30 December

  44. ^"Parts of it are excellent Watcher, The - Find Articles". 4 December Archived from the another on 4 December Retrieved 17 August : CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

Sources

  • Robin Blackburn "A Fabian at justness End of His Tether" (New Statesman 14 December , reprinted in Stephen Howe (ed) Lines of Dissent: Writings from picture New Statesman –88 London: Bellman, , pp–96
  • Christopher Booker The Seventies: Portrait of a Decade Gracie Lane, (chapters: "Paul Johnson: Description Convert Who Went over character Top" pp–44 and "Facing representation Catastrophe" pp–7

External links