Immagine dell'autore.
19+ opere 837 membri 14 recensioni

Sull'Autore

Virginia Cowles was an American war correspondent and historian. Her book about her own experiences as a journalist from 1936-42, Looking for Trouble, has recently been re-issued by Faber Finds. Her play, written with Martha Gellhorn, Love Goes to Press!, will have a revival on Broadway in 2011. mostra altro Among her biographies are: Winston Churchill: The Era and the Man, The, Astors: Story of a Transatlantic Family, The Romanovs, The Rothschilds: A Family of Fortune and Great Marlborough and His Duchess. mostra meno
Fonte dell'immagine: Faber Finds

Serie

Opere di Virginia Cowles

Opere correlate

Etichette

Informazioni generali

Nome legale
Crawley, Harriet Virginia Spencer Cowles
Altri nomi
Cowles, Virginia Spencer
Cowles, Harriet Virginia Spencer
Cowles, V.
Data di nascita
1910-08-24
Data di morte
1983-09-16
Sesso
female
Nazionalità
USA
UK
Luogo di nascita
Brattleboro, Vermont, USA
Luogo di morte
near Biarritz, France (car crash)
Luogo di residenza
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
London, England, UK
Attività lavorative
war correspondent
journalist
biographer
Relazioni
Crawley, Aidan (husband)
Gellhorn, Martha (co-author)
Premi e riconoscimenti
Order of the British Empire (Officer, 1947)
Breve biografia
Virginia Cowles was raised in Boston, where she "came out" as a society debutante in 1928. She then got a job with the North American Newspaper Alliance and later as a roving correspondent for The Sunday Times of London. She first wrote for the gossip columns and on topics such as fashion and love, before moving on to politics and war. She became a well-known journalist, with a reputation for boldness and tenacity, with columns appearing on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1930s. Her first book, Looking for Trouble (1941), described how she started out for Madrid in 1936 with a freelance newspaper assignment and wound up covering the Civil War in Spain. There she met Martha Gelhorn, with whom she later co-wrote the 1946 play, Love Goes to Press, about a group of war correspondents on the Italian front. She interviewed Churchill, the Nazi leaders, and Mussolini. During World War II, she covered events such as the Italian campaign, the winter war between Finland and Russia, the liberation of Paris, and the Allied invasion of Germany. She received the Order of the British Empire in 1947 for her war reporting. In 1945, Miss Cowles married Aidan Crawley, a writer and Member of Parliament, and the couple had three children. Her many nonfiction books included The Phantom Major, Great Marlborough and His Duchess, No Cause for Alarm, How America is Governed, Winston Churchill: The Era and the Man, The Romanovs, Edward VII and His Circle (1956), and The Rothschilds (1973).

Utenti

Recensioni

Splendid memoir by an intrepid journalist. She reported from the Spanish Civil War and then from everywhere in the first years of the Second World War. The book was reportedly a bestseller when it was first published in 1941. One can only wonder what she would have written about the rest of the war. Highly recommended.
 
Segnalato
fmclellan | Jan 23, 2024 |
A factual description of the life, times and influence of Albert Edward who became Edward VII. Who although lived through the sober and rigid society instigated by his parents was able to create his own liberal society. But who became vastly interested and influential in British foreign affairs to some degree because he was related to virtually all the royal houses.
An interesting read of an era that I knew very little of so consequently I learnt some new facts.
A NetGalley Book
 
Segnalato
Vesper1931 | 2 altre recensioni | Jul 29, 2021 |
 
Segnalato
LOM-Lausanne | Apr 30, 2020 |
Working my way through a variety of World War I reading, I recently completed "The Kaiser". Virginia Cowles may not have had the credentials of other highly acclaimed historians, but she certainly performed an impressive amount of research. As well, the author has presented her case in an objective, unbiased manner. All of her reference material is clearly credited to personal journals, letters, memoirs, German and British diplomatic documents.

The story of the Kaiser covers German history from the birth of William II in 1859 to the end of World War I and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Cowles weaves together the story of Europe like a giant but intricate bee hive… with Victoria as the Queen Bee. She arranges marriages for her grandchildren- Princesses and Princes- trying to ensure strategic alliances amongst surrounding Monarchies. Falsely believing she could influence foreign politics, Queen Victoria was in for a major surprise!

Cowles explains all the details of the tumultuous relationships between England, Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, and Russia. She provides the history of royal family disputes and political battles. She brings to light the various historic situations leading up to World War I; the Franco-Prussian War, the Boar War, and the Serbian unrest. All the major players were intent on gaining territory, and Queen Victoria’s primary concern was to make certain no one tipped the balance of power away from her own Imperial Crown.

The war years- 1914 to 1919- consume the final quarter of the book, skimming details of battles and mostly focusing on the Kaiser’s reaction to events and his inevitable abdication.

The ultimate questions however, remain unanswered. Was World War I Germany’s fault? Did the Kaiser “push” for war? Did Germany deserve such harsh treatment in the Treaty of Versailles? Did Germany lose the war because of the “stab in the back” theory? Every book I’ve read so far gives conflicting answers, and all of them cite references. I guess we will never really know the full truth.

However, "The Kaiser" is a worthy read. Learning the intimate facts of the English royal family life, Willy- the Kaiser, Nicky- the Tsar, and Uncle Bertie who eventually becomes the King of England adds another dimension to the equation and serves as the epitome of a royal family feud.
… (altro)
 
Segnalato
LadyLo | Jan 30, 2018 |

Potrebbero anche piacerti

Autori correlati

Statistiche

Opere
19
Opere correlate
1
Utenti
837
Popolarità
#30,527
Voto
3.8
Recensioni
14
ISBN
72
Lingue
7

Grafici & Tabelle