|
John Eric Langdon-Davies (18 March 1897 – 5 December 1971) was a British author and journalist. He was a war correspondent during the Spanish Civil War and the Russo-Finnish war. As a result of his experiences in Spain, he founded the Foster Parents' Scheme for refugee children in Spain, now a huge international organisation called Plan.〔"My Country Right or Left:John Langdon-Davies and Catalonia" in Tom Buchanan, ''The Impact of the Spanish Civil War on Britain: War, Loss And Memory'', pp. 141–157. Sussex Academic Press, 2007 ISBN 1-84519-127-7.〕 He was awarded the MBE for services to the Home Guard. Author of books on military, scientific, historical and Spanish (including Catalan) subjects, Langdon-Davies has been described as "an accomplished war correspondent" and "a brilliant populariser of science and technology".〔 == Early life == Langdon-Davies was born in Eshowe, Zululand (South Africa) in 1897. He was the son of the teacher Guy Langdon-Davies (died 1900), who described himself as "a Huxleyan, a Voltairean and a Tolstoyan pacifist."〔Stanley J. Kunitz and Howard Haycraft, ''Twentieth Century Authors, A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Literature'', (Third Edition). New York, The H.W. Wilson Company, 1950, (p.p. 726-7)〕 Langdon-Davies came to England at the age of six and attended Yardley Park Prep school and Tonbridge School (he disliked the latter intensely).〔 His first published work was an article entitled "The Hermit Crab", which appeared on the young people's page of The Lady in 1910. In 1917 he published ''The Dream Splendid'', a book of poetry inspired by the beauty of nature. According to one critic, it showed "all the young poet's faults";〔Petre Mais, ''Tonbridge Free Press'', 26 October 1917〕 to another, "Mr Langdon-Davies's verse owes nothing to the transient excitements of the hour",〔Anon., ''Oxford Magazine'', "A new poet", 1917〕 referring to the fact that it was not influenced by war fever. ''The Times Literary Supplement'' said it was "the outcome of a brooding imagination intensely affected by open-air influences....and expressing itself with a real sense of style".〔''TLS, 11 October 1917〕 When called up in 1917 he declared himself a conscientious objector and refused to wear uniform.〔 This resulted in a short term in prison before being given a medical discharge. He intended to continue his academic career at St John's College, Oxford, but one of his three scholarships was removed consequent upon his military record. Another, tenable only by a single man, was removed when he married Constance Scott in 1918. The resulting financial situation forced him to abandon his university career, which ended with a diploma in anthropology and history. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「John Langdon-Davies」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|