Philip Guedalla
Philip Guedalla was an English barrister, and a popular historical and travel writer and biographer. His wit and epigrams are well-known, one example being "Even reviewers read a Preface". He also was the originator of a now-common theory on Henry James, writing that "The work of Henry James has always seemed divisible by a simple dynastic arrangement into three reigns: James I, James II, and the Old Pretender."
Family and education
Guedalla was born in Maida Vale, London, into a secular Jewish family of Spanish origin; in later life he embraced his Jewish identity. He was educated at Rugby School and Balliol College, Oxford, where he in 1911 was the President of the Oxford Union; and was published in Oxford Poetry 1910–1913. In 1919 he married Nellie Maude Reitlinger, the daughter of a banker. They never had children. Asked how to say his name, he told The Literary Digest "My own pronunciation is gwuh-dal'lah. I have very little doubt that this is wholly incorrect."Career
Having been called to the Bar by the Inner Temple, Guedalla practised as a barrister from 1913 to 1923, before turning to writing. During the First World War he organised and acted as secretary to the Flax Control Board and also served as legal adviser to the Contracts Departments of the War Office and the Ministry of Munitions.In the Autumn of 1936 a joint committee of the British Council, the Foreign Office, Overseas Trade Department, British Film Institute, and the Travel Association was set up under the Chairmanship of Guedalla, with the aim of selecting British documentaries for overseas distribution.
When the Travel Association closed in 1939, the British Council took ownership of the committee's activities to establish the British Council's Film Department. Despite his role in the Royal Air Force, where he held the rank of Squadron Leader, Guedalla became the Chair of this department and actively shaped its activities.
Guedalla's military service in Africa with the RAF at the beginning of 1944 led to him becoming very unwell; this is reflected in the film department's production notes, which are held in The National Archives, and his absence drastically reduced the department's outputs for the year.
He was also President of the British Zionist Federation, president of the Jewish Historical Society of England and Vice-President of the Jewish Representative Council.
Politics
Guedalla was a parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Party five times, always unsuccessfully.He first stood for Parliament as a Liberal at the 1922 general election in Hackney North in a straight fight with the incumbent Conservative Sir Walter Greene, MP. Greene held the seat with a majority of 4,615 votes.
At the 1923 general election Guedalla was adopted as Liberal candidate for the Derbyshire North East constituency. This looked as if it might be a winnable seat for the Liberals as at the general election of 1922 the Liberal candidate Stanley Holmes had come within 15 votes of taking the seat from Labour in a three-cornered contest. Despite the boost the Liberals had received in the run-up to the 1923 general election with the reunion of the Lloyd George and Asquithian wings of the party, Guedalla was unable to gain Derbyshire North East and fell to the foot of the poll behind the Conservatives.
He tried again in Derbyshire North East at the 1924 general election but again came third behind the Tories in a three-cornered fight.
Guedalla next attempted to enter the House of Commons as Liberal candidate for Manchester Rusholme at the 1929 general election. This had been a Liberal seat between 1923 and 1924 having been held by Charles Masterman a former Liberal Cabinet minister. Guedalla maintained second place behind the sitting Tory MP Sir Frank Boyd Merriman but was unable to regain the seat.
At the 1931 general election Guedalla moved constituencies again, this time to nearby Manchester Withington. This was a Liberal seat, held between 1923–1924 and 1929-1931 by Ernest Simon. However, in the summer of 1931 an economic crisis led to the formation of a National Government led by prime minister Ramsay MacDonald supported by a small number of Labour Organisation|National Labour] MPs and initially backed by the Conservative and Liberal parties. In many constituencies the main opposition party to Labour simply assumed the mantle of the Coalition government but in Manchester the Conservative and Liberal parties could not work together to agree an electoral pact, even in the unique circumstances of the national emergency. So Guedalla found himself opposed by Edward Fleming for the Conservatives who won the seat comfortably with a majority of 14,718.
In 1936 he was elected to serve on the Liberal Party Council.
Death
Guedalla died in hospital in London on 16 December 1944 at age 55, having contracted an illness during his service in the RAF.''Sleuth'' reference
In the play Sleuth by Anthony Shaffer, mystery writer Andrew Wyke says, "Do you agree that the detective story is the normal recreation of noble minds? I'm quoting from Philip Guedalla, a biographer of the thirties, that golden age when every Cabinet Minister had a thriller by his bedside and all detectives were titled."Works
Ignes Fatui - A Book of Parodies- essaysThe Secret of the Coup d'État: Unpublished Correspondence of Prince Louis Napoleon, MM. De Morny, De Flahault, and Others, 1848-1852 with the Earl of KerryA Gallery Napoleon and Palestine - Arthur Davis Memorial LectureEssays of To-day and Yesterday Palmerston Independence Day: A Sketchbook ; American edition as Fathers of the Revolution Collected Essays of Philip Guedalla, 4 vols - vol. 1 Men of Letters, vol. 2 Men of Affairs, vol. 3 Men of War, vol. 4 Still LifeConquistador: American Fantasia Gladstone and Palmerston: Being the Correspondence of Lord Palmerston With Mr. Gladstone 1851-1865 Mary Arnold - reprinted from Bonnet and ShawlSlings and Arrows: Sayings Chosen from the Speeches of the Rt. Hon. David Lloyd George editorThe Duke ; American edition as Wellington If the Moors in Spain Had Won, reprinted from If It Had Happened Otherwise, edited by J. C. Squire Argentine Tango The Queen and Mr. Gladstone The Hundred Days Letters of Napoleon to Marie Louise introduction, with Charles de la RoncièreThe Hundred Years Ragtime and Tango Lecture on Modern Biography
- - "a record of the year 1936"The Jewish Past - Presidential address delivered before the Jewish Historical Society of EnglandThe Other Americas - talks given by P. Guedalla and J. A. Camacho between April and July 1941, in the Home Service programme of the B.B.C.Mr Churchill The Liberators Middle East, 1940 to 1942: A Study in Air Power