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Re: Auberon Waugh (fwd)
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From: Philosophers <J.Goodenough@uea.ac.uk>
Earl Sampson wrote:
> In case the recent thread re: Auberon Waugh aroused anyone's curiosity
> to know more about him, I just noticed that Edward R. Hamilton
> Bookseller is offering his autobiography, _Will This Do? The First Fifty
> Years of Auberon Waugh_, at a 30% discount ($16.80, from $24). The blurb
> reads: "The eldest son of Evelyn Waugh, longtime editor of London's
> _Literary Review_, offers an entertaining, often comic look at his life
> - his education, difficult relationship with his father, undistinguished
> military career [I like that part!], and colorful contributions to
> London literary life."
I don't think "undistinguished" is very fair here, since AW's brief career in
the British army is almost certainly unique in one respect. He is probably the
only person ever to be invalided out of the army after shooting himself. In the
chest. With a machine-gun. Which was fixed to an armoured car at the time......
Reading AW's various autobiographic writings one gets the impression that
another characteristic he shares with VN is that of having absolutely the wrong
kind of personality to be a good soldier.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|* Dr. Jerry Goodenough *|
|* Philosophy Sector Tel: +44 (0)1603-593406 *|
|* School of Economic & Social Studies Fax: +44 (0)1603-250434 *|
|* University of East Anglia E: j.goodenough@uea.ac.uk *|
|* Norwich NR4 7TJ England *|
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Earl Sampson wrote:
> In case the recent thread re: Auberon Waugh aroused anyone's curiosity
> to know more about him, I just noticed that Edward R. Hamilton
> Bookseller is offering his autobiography, _Will This Do? The First Fifty
> Years of Auberon Waugh_, at a 30% discount ($16.80, from $24). The blurb
> reads: "The eldest son of Evelyn Waugh, longtime editor of London's
> _Literary Review_, offers an entertaining, often comic look at his life
> - his education, difficult relationship with his father, undistinguished
> military career [I like that part!], and colorful contributions to
> London literary life."
I don't think "undistinguished" is very fair here, since AW's brief career in
the British army is almost certainly unique in one respect. He is probably the
only person ever to be invalided out of the army after shooting himself. In the
chest. With a machine-gun. Which was fixed to an armoured car at the time......
Reading AW's various autobiographic writings one gets the impression that
another characteristic he shares with VN is that of having absolutely the wrong
kind of personality to be a good soldier.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|* Dr. Jerry Goodenough *|
|* Philosophy Sector Tel: +44 (0)1603-593406 *|
|* School of Economic & Social Studies Fax: +44 (0)1603-250434 *|
|* University of East Anglia E: j.goodenough@uea.ac.uk *|
|* Norwich NR4 7TJ England *|
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