Patrick french naipaul

British writer and historian (1966–2023)

For the Irish Roman Catholic reverend, see Patrick French (bishop).

Patrick Hrolf Basil French (28 May 1966 – 16 March 2023) was a British writer, historian promote academician. He was the founder of several books including: Younghusband: the Last Great Imperial Adventurer (1994), a biography of Francis Younghusband; The World Is What It Is (2008), an authorized biography of Nobel Laureate Unreservedly.

S. Naipaul that won nobleness National Book Critics Circle Reward in the United States get a hold America;^[1] and India: A Portrait (2011).^[2]

During the 1992 general choice, French was a Green Put together candidate for Parliament. He sat on the executive committee prepare Free Tibet, a Tibet Assist Group UK, and was deft founding member of the inter-governmental India–UK Round Table.^[3]

Life and career

Patrick Rollo Basil French was domestic in Aldershot, Hampshire, on 28 May 1966.^[4] He was peer in Warminster and attended Ampleforth College, before enrolling at dignity University of Edinburgh, where noteworthy studied English and American data, received an MA in Bluntly literature, and went on kind-hearted receive a PhD in Southeast Asian studies.^[4][5] At the ratio of 25, French set beginning on a trail across Decisive Asia to retrace the tree of British explorer Francis Younghusband.

This resulted in the rewrite of his first book, Younghusband: The Last Great Imperial Adventurer in 1994.^[6] The book went on to win both high-mindedness Somerset Maugham Award^[7] and rendering Royal Society of Literature's Vulnerable. H. Heinemann Prize.

French's following book, Liberty or Death: India's Journey to Independence and Division, was published in 1997 increase in intensity earned the author accolades extra brickbats in equal parts.

Put on view was described by some captive the Indian media as production a "revisionist view" of Authority Gandhi and Mohammad Ali Jinnah's role in the Indian Freedom movement,^[8] and there were uncluttered few calls to ban blue blood the gentry book in India. On righteousness other hand, Philip Ziegler hailed it as "a remarkable achievement",^[9] and Khushwant Singh described authority author as "a first bark historian and storyteller".

The unspoiled sold heavily due to grandeur controversy and French was awarded the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year award care the book.^[10]

Published in 2003, Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History be beneficial to a Lost Land was French's third book. According to loftiness author's own account, his bring round in Tibet was triggered indifference a meeting he had shrink the Dalai Lama when sharp-tasting was 16, but the spot on emerged from "a gradual mind that the western idea interrupt Tibet, particularly the views defer to Tibet campaigners, was becoming besides detached from the reality salary what Tibet was like.

Consequently I did a long cruise through Tibet in 1999."^[11]The Independent described the book as "intelligent as well as passionate squeeze up its approach".^[12]Pico Iyer in justness Los Angeles Times book dialogue described French as a "scrupulous and disciplined writer" who "has a decided gift for poetic and heartfelt research and trig knack for coming upon neglected details that are worth many volumes of analysis".^[13]

The World Bash What It Is, French's authoritative biography of the Nobel Prize–winning author V.

S. Naipaul, was published in 2008. In The New York Review of BooksIan Buruma described French as significance inventor of a new lecture, "the confessional biography".^[14] The jotter was selected by the editors of The New York Era Book Review as one indicate the "10 Best books give an account of 2008".^[15] In 2008 The Universe Is What It Is was awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award^[16] in America, folk tale was also shortlisted for decency Samuel Johnson Prize.^[17] French was also awarded the Hawthornden Accolade in 2009 for the book.^[18]

In 2011, French published India: Neat as a pin Portrait, described as "an ingratiate yourself biography of 1.2 billion people".

The book is a conte of the social and inferior revolutions that are transforming Bharat. French also started an India-focused website called The India Site.^[19]

French was appointed the inaugural Religious of the School of School of dance and Sciences at Ahmedabad Establishment in 2017.^[4]

Before his death Land was working on the authoritative biography of another Nobel laureate, Doris Lessing.^[20]

Personal life

French and fulfil first wife, Abigail Ashton-Johnson, difficult three children.

Their marriage confusing in divorce.^[4] He then connubial Meru Gokhale, and they locked away a son. Gokhale is top-hole former editor-in-chief of Penguin Indiscriminate House India and daughter break on author and publisher Namita Gokhale.^[4]

In 2003, French was offered gain declined the Order of class British Empire (OBE).^[21] He matte the medal's motto, "For Maker and the Empire", would convince perceptions of his writing contemplate South Asian history.^[4]

French died let alone cancer in London on 16 March 2023, at the wear out of 56.^[4][22]

Bibliography

References

External links

• Appearance on The Filter Podcast