 Evelyn Waugh, as photographed in 1940 by Carl Van Vechten Evelyn Arthur St. John Waugh (October 28 1903 – April 10 1966) was an English satirical novelist, brother of Alec Waugh and father of Auberon Waugh.
Early Life
Born in London, he left Oxford University (Hertford College) in 1924 with a third-class degree. He taught at a private school in Wales and in 1925 attempted suicide by swimming out to sea (turning back, however, when stung by a jellyfish).
He was apprenticed to a cabinet-maker and worked briefly as a journalist, before he had his first great literary success in 1928 with Decline and Fall. Other novels about England's "Bright Young Things" followed, and all were well received by both critics and the general public. He entered into a rather brief and unsuccessful marriage in 1929 to the Hon. Evelyn Gardner.It was annulled in 1936. His second marriage, in 1937, to Laura Herbert, daughter of Aubrey Herbert, was more successful, lasting for the rest of his life and producing six children.
The Thirties
Particularly in the period between his two marriages, Waugh travelled restlessly and from these experiences came some of the best travel writing in the English language. It is, in its own way, comparable to the best of other travel writing masters such as Patrick Leigh Fermor, D.H. Lawrence and John Steinbeck. A compendium of his best travel writing has been issued under the title, When The Going Was Good. His travels took him around the Mediterranean, and to Spittsbergen, Africa and South America.
In his pre-World War II novels Waugh satirized contemporary English society, especially the aristocracy and the upper middle classes. In later years, his novels were more serious, although still witty and full of comic invention.
In 1930 he was converted to Roman Catholicism, and his religious ideas are manifest in most of his later work, especially in Brideshead Revisited which, as he himself stated, is an account of the intervention of God's Grace in a family.
World War Two
With the advent of World War II, Waugh entreated "friends in high places", such as Randolph Churchill - son of Winston - to find him a service commission. Though thirty six and of poor eyesight, he was commissioned in the Royal Marines in 1940. It would be difficult to imagine anyone less suited to command troops. Though personally brave and of strong character, he did not suffer fools gladly and could not restrain his tongue. There was some concern that the men under his command might shoot him instead of the enemy. He was promoted to Captain but found life in the Marines dull.
Waugh participated in the somewhat farcical attempt to take Dakar from the Vichy French in late 1940.Following a joint exercise with No.8 Commando (Army), he applied to join them and was accepted. Waugh took part in an ill fated commando raid on the coast of Libya. He showed conspicuous bravery during the evacuation of Crete, supervising the evacuation of troops whlie under attack by Stuka dive bombers.
Later, Waugh was placed on extended leave for several years and reassigned to the Royal Horse Guards. During this period he wrote Brideshead Revisited. He was recalled for a military/diplomatic mission to Yugoslavia at the request of his old friend Randolph Churchill. An outcome was a formidable report detailing Tito's persecution of the clergy which was "buried" by Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden (who also attempted to discredit Waugh) to save diplomatic embarrassment as Tito was then a required ally of Britain and official "friend".
Much of Waugh's war experience is reflected in his Sword of Honor trilogy. This work is one of his finest achievements, showing the master at his best. Some of his portraits are unforgettable, and a few show striking resemblances to noted real life personalities. Many feel that the fire eating general, Brig. Ben Ritchie-Hook, was based on Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Carton De Wiart, V.C., whom Waugh knew somewhat from his club. The commando leader, Tommy Blackhouse, was based on Major-General Sir Robert Laycock, the famous commando leader and a friend of Waugh's.
Later Years
The period after the war saw Waugh's social life and writing productivity gradually wind down. He lived with his family in the West Country at his country homes, Piers Court, and from 1956 onwards, at Combe Florey.
His travels to California yielded "The Loved One", a satire on the American funeral industry. Trips to Africa and the Middle East provided background for Travel Literature.
But, most especially, this was the period when the "War Trilogy" was written.
Evelyn Waugh died on 10 April 1966, aged 62.
List of Works
Novels
Sword of Honour Trilogy
- Men at Arms (1952)
- Love Among the Ruins (1953)
- Officers and Gentlemen (1955)
- Unconditional Surrender (1961)
Biography
- Saint Edmund Campion: Priest and Martyr'
- The Life of the Right Reverend Ronald Knox
Autobiography
External links
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