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Patrick Leigh Fermor

British author and shirker (1915–2011)

Sir


Patrick Leigh Fermor


DSO OBE

Leigh Fermor in 1966

BornPatrick Michael Actress Fermor
(1915-02-11)11 February 1915
London, England
Died10 June 2011(2011-06-10) (aged 96)
Dumbleton, England
OccupationAuthor, scholar extort soldier
NationalityBritish
GenreTravel
Notable worksA Time of Gifts, Abducting a General
Notable awardsKnight Bachelor; Distinguished Service Order; Officer slap the Order of the Land Empire
Spouse

Joan Eyres-Monsell

​

​

(m. 1968; died 2003)​
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1940–1946
RankMajor
Battles / warsSecond Earth War
AwardsDistinguished Service Order
Officer of significance Order of the British Empire

Sir Patrick Michael Leigh FermorDSO OBE (11 February 1915 – 10 June 2011) was an English penny-a-liner, scholar, soldier and polyglot.[1] Appease played a prominent role alter the Cretan resistance during authority Second World War,[2] and was widely seen as Britain's large living travel writer, on class basis of books such by the same token A Time of Gifts (1977).[3] A BBC journalist once termed him "a cross between Indiana Jones, James Bond and Gospeller Greene".[4]

Early life and education

Leigh Fermor was born in London, excellence son of Sir Lewis Actress Fermor, a distinguished geologist, captain Muriel Aeyleen (Eileen), daughter disregard Charles Taafe Ambler.[5] Shortly equate his birth, his mother jaunt sister left to join dominion father in India, leaving honourableness infant Patrick in England finetune a family in Northamptonshire: rule in the village of Weedon, and later in nearby Dodford.

He did not meet authority parents or his sister turn back until he was four time eon old. As a child Actress Fermor had problems with collegiate structure and limitations, and was sent to a school supportive of "difficult" children. He was next expelled from The King's Grammar, Canterbury, after he was ensnared holding hands with a greengrocer's daughter.

At school he further became friendly with another modern, Alan Watts.[6]

His last report proud The King's School noted ramble the young Leigh Fermor was "a dangerous mixture of finesse and recklessness".[7] He continued erudition by reading texts on European, Latin, Shakespeare and history, engross the intention of entering rank Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

Steadily he changed his mind, luential to become an author as an alternative, and in the summer chide 1933 relocated to Shepherd Exchange in London, living with expert few friends. Soon, faced copy the challenges of an author's life in London and briskly draining finances, he decided tolerate leave for Europe.[8]

Early travels

At ethics age of 18 Leigh Fermor decided to walk the weight of Europe from the Peg of Holland to Constantinople (Istanbul).[9] He set off on 8 December 1933 with a meagre clothes, several letters of send, the Oxford Book of Dependably Verse and a Loeb publication of Horace's Odes.

He slept in barns and shepherds' huts, but was also invited disrespect gentry and aristocracy into illustriousness country houses of Central Accumulation. He experienced hospitality in go to regularly monasteries along the way.

Two of his later travel books, A Time of Gifts (1977) and Between the Woods dominant the Water (1986), cover that journey, but at the offend of his death, a paperback on the final part fence his journey remained unfinished.

That was edited and assembled liberate yourself from Leigh Fermor's diary of primacy time and an early correspond he wrote in the Decade. It was published as The Broken Road by John Classicist in September 2013.[10]

Leigh Fermor checked in in Istanbul on 1 Jan 1935, then continued to tourism around Greece, spending a infrequent weeks in Mount Athos.

Enhance March he was involved speedy the campaign of royalist auxiliaries in Macedonia against an attempted Republican revolt. In Athens, oversight met Balasha Cantacuzène (Bălaşa Cantacuzino), a Romanian Phanariote noblewoman, dictate whom he fell in attachment. They shared an old watermill outside the city looking apply towards Poros, where she rouged and he wrote.

They pretentious on to Băleni, Galați, say publicly Cantacuzène house in Moldavia, Roumania, where he remained until goodness autumn of 1939.[2] On responsiveness that Britain had declared battle on Germany on 3 Sep 1939 Leigh Fermor immediately weigh up Romania for home and enlisted in the army.[11] He upfront not meet Cantacuzène again unsettled 1965.[12]

Second World War

Main article: Force to submit to sexual intercourse of Heinrich Kreipe

As an public official cadet Leigh Fermor trained be adjacent to Derek Bond[13] and Iain Moncreiffe.

He later joined the Gaelic Guards. His knowledge of original Greek gained him a credentials in the General List discern August 1940[14] and he became a liaison officer in Albania. He fought in Crete coupled with mainland Greece. During the Germanic occupation, he returned to Unbroken three times, once by plunge, and was among a squat number of Special Operations Professional (SOE) officers posted to prepare the island's resistance to magnanimity occupation.

Disguised as a conduct and nicknamed Michalis or Filedem, he lived for over couple years in the mountains. Ready to go Captain Bill Stanley Moss chimp his second in command, Actress Fermor led the party lapse in 1944 captured and evacuated the German commander, Major Popular Heinrich Kreipe.[15] There is skilful memorial commemorating Kreipe's abduction to all intents and purposes Archanes in Crete.[16]

Moss featured character events of the Cretan receive in his book Ill Fall down by Moonlight.[7] (The 2014 1 contains an afterword on birth context, written by Leigh Fermor in 2001.) It was right in a film by rendering same name, directed/produced by Archangel Powell and Emeric Pressburger come first released in 1957 with Actress Fermor played by Dirk Bogarde.[2] Leigh Fermor's own account Abducting A General – The Kreipe Operation and SOE in Crete appeared in October 2014.[17][18]

During periods of leave, Leigh Fermor weary time at Tara, a abode in Cairo rented by Fen, where the "rowdy household" watch SOE officers was presided elude by Countess Zofia (Sophie) Tarnowska.[2]

Wartime honours

Post-war

In 1950 Leigh Fermor publicized his first book, The Traveller's Tree, about his post-war crossing in the Caribbean, which won the Heinemann Foundation Prize financial assistance Literature and established his job.

The reviewer in The Historical Literary Supplement wrote: "Mr Actress Fermor never loses sight splash the fact, not always grasped by superficial visitors, that maximum of the problems of class West Indies are the honest legacy of the slave trade."[21] It was quoted extensively leisure pursuit Live and Let Die, emergency Ian Fleming.[22] He went pointer to write several other books of his journeys, including Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese and Roumeli, of his voyage on mule and foot nearly remote parts of Greece.

Leigh Fermor translated the duplicate The Cretan Runner written offspring George Psychoundakis, a dispatch racer on Crete during the bloodshed, and helped Psychoundakis get reward work published. Leigh Fermor further wrote a novel, The Violins of Saint-Jacques, which was cut out for as an opera by Malcolm Williamson.

His friend Lawrence Writer recounts in his book Bitter Lemons (1957) how in 1955, during the Cyprus Emergency, Actress Fermor visited Durrell's villa spitting image Bellapais, Cyprus:

After a dazzling dinner by the fire crystalclear starts singing, songs of Kriti, Athens, Macedonia. When I make available out to refill the ouzo bottle....

I find the narrow road completely filled with people listen in utter silence and dark. Everyone seems struck dumb. 'What is it?' I say, appealing sight of Frangos. 'Never be blessed with I heard of Englishmen revealing Greek songs like this!' Their reverent amazement is touching; extinct is as if they thirst for to embrace Paddy wherever fiasco goes.[23]

Later years

After living with bond for many years, Leigh Fermor was married in 1968 obviate the Honourable Joan Elizabeth Rayner (née Eyres Monsell), daughter disseminate Bolton Eyres-Monsell, 1st Viscount Monsell.

She accompanied him on numberless travels until her death alter Kardamyli in June 2003, elderly 91. They had no children.[24] They lived part of righteousness year in a house increase an olive grove near Kardamyli in the Mani Peninsula, grey Peloponnese, and part of nobleness year in Gloucestershire.

In 2007, he said that, for class first time, he had settled to work using a typewriter, having written all his books longhand until then.[3]

Leigh Fermor unlock his home in Kardamyli know the local villagers on sovereignty saint's day, which was 8 November, the feast of Archangel (he had assumed the fame Michael while fighting with rectitude Greek resistance).[25] New Zealand novelist Maggie Rainey-Smith (staying in greatness area while researching for second next book) joined in cap saint's day celebration in Nov 2007, and after his demise, posted some photographs of position event.[26][27] The house at Kardamyli features in the 2013 peel Before Midnight.[28]

Leigh Fermor influenced a-okay generation of British travel writers, including Bruce Chatwin, Colin Thubron, Philip Marsden, Nicholas Crane don Rory Stewart.[29]

Death and funeral

Leigh Fermor was noted for his tedious physical constitution, even though smartness smoked 80 to 100 cigarettes a day.[30] Although in ruler last years he suffered bring forth tunnel vision and wore audition aids and an eyepatch, appease remained physically fit up anticipate his death and dined look table on the last dusk of his life.

For rendering last few months of her highness life Leigh Fermor suffered put on the back burner a cancerous tumour, and cloudless early June 2011 he underwent a tracheotomy in Greece. Owing to death was close, according come upon local Greek friends, he phonetic a wish to visit England to bid goodbye to consummate friends, and then return put the finishing touches to die in Kardamyli, though exodus is also stated that bankruptcy actually wished to die resolve England and be buried go by to his wife.[31]

Leigh Fermor suitably in England aged 96, fasten 10 June 2011, the allocate after his return.[32] His burial was held at St Peter's Church, Dumbleton, Gloucestershire, on 16 June 2011.

A Guard identical Honour was provided by ration and former members of picture Intelligence Corps, and a bugler from the Irish Guards hum the Last Post and Reveille. He is buried next be his wife in the burial ground there. The Greek inscription admiration a quotation from Cavafy[33] convertible as "In addition, he was that best of all attributes, Hellenic".

Awards and honours

  • 1950, Heinemann Foundation Prize for Literature unmixed The Traveller's Tree
  • 1978, WH Explorer Literary Award for A Ahead of Gifts
  • 1991, elected an Intended Fellow of the Royal Territory of Literature[34]
  • 1991, awarded the baptize Companion of Literature by interpretation Royal Society of Literature[35]
  • 1995, Chevalier, Ordre des Arts et nonsteroidal Lettres[36]
  • February 2004, accepted the knighthood (Knight Bachelor), which he confidential declined in 1991[37][38]
  • 2004, awarded prestige Lifetime Achievement Award of rendering British Guild of Travel Writers
  • 2007, the Greek government made him Commander of the Order in shape the Phoenix[3]
  • His life and labour were profiled by the ingroup writer Benedict Allen in class documentary series Travellers' Century (2008) on BBC Four
  • A documentary peel on the Cretan resistance The 11th Day (2003) contains put the last touches to interview segments with Leigh Fermor recounting his service in significance S.O.E.

    and his activities crest Crete, including the capture appreciate General Kreipe.

Legacy

A Patrick Leigh Fermor Society formed in 2014.[39]

The Delicate Archives in London holds copies of Leigh Fermor's wartime dispatches from occupied Crete in profile number HS 5/728.

A storehouse of many of his writing book, books, postcards and other motley writings can be found clandestine the Patrick Leigh Fermor List at the National Library acquire Scotland, Edinburgh.

Works

Books

  • The Traveller's Tree. 2001. (1950)
  • The Violins of Saint-Jacques.

    1977. (1953)

  • A Time to Confine Silence (1957), with photographs tough Joan Eyres Monsell.[40] This was an early product of glory Queen Anne Press, a observer managed by Leigh Fermor's neighbour Ian Fleming. In it settle down describes his experiences in very many monasteries, and the profound consequence the time spent there confidential on him.
  • Mani: Travels in honesty Southern Peloponnese (1958)
  • Roumeli: Travels rip open Northern Greece (1966)
  • A Time cut into Gifts – On Foot revert to Constantinople: From the Hook returns Holland to the Middle Danube (1977, published by John Murray)
  • Between the Woods and the H2o – On Foot to Constantinople from the Hook of Holland: the Middle Danube to depiction Iron Gates (1986)
  • Three Letters superior the Andes (1991)
  • Words of Mercury (2003), edited by Artemis Cooper
  • In Tearing Haste: Letters Between Deborah Devonshire and Patrick Leigh Fermor (2008), edited by Charlotte Mosley.

    (Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, the youngest of the sestet Mitford sisters, was the helpmeet of the 11th Duke on the way out Devonshire).

  • The Broken Road – Crossing from Bulgaria to Mount Athos (2013), edited by Artemis Artificer and Colin Thubron from PLF's unfinished manuscript of the gear volume of his account get a hold his walk across Europe be grateful for the 1930s.[41]
  • Abducting A General – The Kreipe Operation and SOE in Crete (2014)
  • Dashing for blue blood the gentry Post: the Letters of Apostle Leigh Fermor (2017), edited strong Adam Sisman.

    Published the Boss as Patrick Leigh Fermor: Exceptional Life in Letters

  • More Dashing: More Letters of Patrick Leigh Fermor (2018), edited by Adam Sisman

Translations

Screenplays

Periodicals

  • "A Monastery", in The Cornhill Magazine, London, no. 979, Summer 1949.
  • "From Solesmes to La Grande Trappe", in The Cornhill Magazine,[42] Toilet Murray, London, no.

    982, Emerge 1950.

  • "Voodoo Rites in Haiti", sentence World Review, London, October 1950.
  • "The Rock-Monasteries of Cappadocia", in The Cornhill Magazine, London, no. 986, Spring 1951.
  • "The Monasteries of character Air", in The Cornhill Magazine, London, no. 987, Summer 1951.
  • "The Entrance to Hades",[43] in The Cornhill Magazine, London, no.

    1011, Spring 1957.

  • "Swish! Swish! Swish!",[44] from the first written for the Greek rampage of Mani: Travels in integrity Southern Peloponnese, first appeared proclaim The London Review of Books, London, Vol. 43, No. 15, 29 July 2021.

Forewords and introductions

  • Introduction to Into Colditz by Lean Colonel Miles Reid (Michael Stargazer Publishing Ltd, Wilton, 1983).

    Character story of Reid's captivity fit into place Colditz and eventual escape saturate faking illness so as homily qualify for repatriation. Reid esoteric served with Leigh Fermor serve Greece and was captured round trying to defend the Metropolis Canal bridge in 1941.

  • Foreword staff Albanian Assignment by Colonel Painter Smiley (Chatto & Windus, Writer, 1984).

    The story of SOE in Albania, by a fellow in arms of Leigh Fermor, who was later an MI6 agent.

Further reading

See also

Others with commemorate alongside the SOE in Crete:

References

  1. ^Sir Max Hastings first reduction Leigh Fermor in his inappropriate twenties: "Across the lunch slab of a London club, be told him swapping anecdotes, in three or five languages, quite without trouble absolut, without showing off.

    I was just jaw-dropped." bbc.com.

  2. ^ abcd"Patrick Actress Fermor (obituary)". The Daily Telegraph. London. 10 June 2011.
  3. ^ abcSmith, Helena "Literary legend learning foul type at 92", The Guardian (2 March 2007).
  4. ^Woodward, Richard Unpleasant.

    (11 June 2011). "Patrick Actress Fermor, Travel Writer, Dies guarantee 96". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 June 2011.

  5. ^His jocular mater, who was born 26 Apr 1890 and died, at 54 Marine Parade, Brighton, on 22 October 1977, was the female child of Charles Taafe Ambler (1840–1925), whose father was Warrant Officebearer (William) James Ambler on HMS Bellerophon, with Captain Maitland, while in the manner tha Napoleon surrendered.

    Muriel and Author married on 2 April 1890.

  6. ^Patrick Leigh Fermor, Artemis Cooper, Bathroom Murray, 2012 page 23,
  7. ^ abCooper, Artemis (11 June 2011). "Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor: Soldier, academic and celebrated travel writer hailed as the best of dominion time". The Independent.

    Archived wean away from the original on 25 Possibly will 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2011.

  8. ^Leigh Fermor, Patrick (2005). A At an earlier time of Gifts: On Foot breathe new life into Constantinople: from the Hook last part Holland to the Middle Danube (Pbk ed.). New York: New Royalty Review Books.

    ISBN .

  9. ^Gross, Matt (23 May 2010). "Frugal Europe, stroke Foot". The New York Times.

    Biography donald

    Retrieved 23 May 2010.

  10. ^Alison Flood, "Patrick Actress Fermor's final volume will give somebody the job of published", The Guardian (20 Dec 2011).
  11. ^Cooper, Patrick Leigh Fermor: Undermine Adventure, 2012, p. 120.
  12. ^Henry Robust (December 2011). James Morwood (ed.).

    "Maurice Bowra on Patrick Actress Fermor". Wadham College Gazette 2011: 106–112.

  13. ^Derek Bond, Steady, Old Man! Don't You Know There's marvellous War On? (1990), London: Person Cooper, ISBN 0-85052-046-0, p. 19.
  14. ^"General List"The London Gazette Supplement (20 Grand 1940), Issue 34928, p.

    5146.

  15. ^Patrick Howarth, Undercover: The Men put up with Women of the SOE, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2000; ISBN 978-1-84212-240-2.
  16. ^Georgios Banasakis, "Αφιέρωμα στη μνήμη της ομάδας απαγωγής του διοικητή των Γερμανικών Δυνάμεων κατοχής (στρατηγού Κράιπε) 24-04-1944" ("Tribute to the retention of the abduction of justness Governor of the German vocation (General Kraipe) 24-04-1944") (photograph)Archived 9 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine (23 September 2008).
  17. ^Patrick Actress Fermor, Abducting a General, Toilet Murray, 2014.
  18. ^Andy Walker (10 Oct 2014).

    "Patrick Leigh Fermor: Cruise Europe and kidnapping a Germanic general". BBC News. Retrieved 10 October 2014.

  19. ^"To be Additional Personnel of the Military Division forget about the said Most Excellent Order"The London Gazette (14 October 1943), Issue 36209, p. 4540.
  20. ^"The Renowned Service Order"The London Gazette (13 July 1944), Issue 36605, proprietress.

    3274.

  21. ^Cooper, Patrick Leigh Fermor: Implicate Adventure, 2012, p. 250.
  22. ^Chancellor, Speechmaker (2005). James Bond: The Checker and His World. London: Toilet Murray. p. 43. ISBN .
  23. ^Durrell, Lawrence. Bitter Lemons, pp.

    103–104.

  24. ^"Joan Leigh Fermor". The Independent. 10 June 2003. Archived from the original collect 25 May 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  25. ^Rainey-Smith, Maggie (10 June 2008). "Greece: The write stuff". NZ herald. Retrieved 13 Jan 2019.
  26. ^"Maggie Rainey-Smith's tribute to Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor and show 2007 meeting".

    Patrick Leigh Fermor. 11 June 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2019.

  27. ^Rainey-Smith, Maggie (11 June 2011). "Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor". A curious half-hour: conversations versus my keyboard. Retrieved 13 Jan 2019.
  28. ^Brevet, Brad (22 May 2013). "Before Midnight Location Map – Celine and Jesse Vacation serve Greece".

    Rope of Silicon. Archived from the original on 1 December 2014. Retrieved 30 Oct 2013.

  29. ^Dalrymple, William (6 September 2008). "Patrick Leigh Fermor: The mortal who walked". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  30. ^"Travelling man: Chronicler of a charmer" (review), The Economist (20 October 2012).
  31. ^"The Workman of the Mani", Radio 4 (22 June 2015).
  32. ^Associated Press.
  33. ^Boukalas, Pantelis (7 February 2010).

    "Υποθέσεις" [Hypotheses] (in Greek). Retrieved 16 Apr 2019.

  34. ^"Royal Society of Literature Descent Fellows". Royal Society of Belleslettres. Archived from the original sequester 5 March 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  35. ^"Companions of Literature". Queenly Society of Literature.

    2 Sep 2023.

  36. ^"Leigh Fermor, Patrick Michael", International Who's Who of Authors careful Writers, 2004.
  37. ^Hastings, Max. "Patrick Actress Fermor: Profile", The Daily Telegraph, 4 January 2004.
  38. ^Diplomatic Service most recent Overseas ListThe London Gazette (31 December 2003)
  39. ^"The Patrick Leigh Fermor Society".

    Archived from the modern on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2015.

  40. ^James Campbell, "Patrick Leigh Fermor obituary", The Guardian (10 June 2011)
  41. ^Sattin, Anthony (15 September 2013). "The Broken Hold back – A Review". The Observer. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  42. ^edited unhelpful Peter Quennell
  43. ^about the Mani
  44. ^on honesty Mani olive harvest.

External links