Shane Leslie (1885–1971)

Shane (John) Leslie was a son of Jennie Churchill's sister, and was a member of Churchill's circle when both men were young. He was a non-violent Irish Nationalist, but was sent by the British to the USA to smooth hostilities between the UK and the US after the execution of the Irish Nationalists after the Easter rising. As time passed he was less liked in Ireland than England, and had a moderately successful literary career. There are some interesting insights to be gleaned from these pages.

1613 Henry Edward Manning: His Life and Labours, by Shane Leslie, M.A. (read 21 Jan 1981) I was quite disappointed in this book. It is not chronological, and apparently relies only on letters. It makes no attempt to use other sources to portray Manning's actual life. It assumes a far more knowledgeable person than I am as to 19th century events. It is a poorly done book and I was glad when I reached the last page.

1614 Cardinal Gasquet: A Memoir, by Shane Leslie (read 25 Jan 1981) Gasquet was born in London on 5 Oct 1846 and died in Rome on 5 Apr 1929. He was created a Cardinal in May of 1914. He wrote some English history in the late 19th century, but I cannot believe his work is still worth reading. But English Cardinals are interesting, and Cardinal Gasquet is no exception, even though this book is loosely put together, repetitious, and not a biography.