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Kanonisk navn: Donaldson, Lady Frances Lonsdale
Andre navne: Baroness Donaldson of Kingsbridge
Lonsdale, Frances Annesley (birth name)
Lady Donaldson
Fødselsdato: 1907-01-13
Dødsdag: 1994-03-27
Køn: female
Nationalitet: UK
Dødssted: London, England, UK
Erhverv: biographer
farming writer
memoirist
Relationer: Lonsdale, Frederick (father)
Kort biografi: Lady Donaldson, née Frances Annesley Lonsdale, known as Frankie, was a daughter of playwright Frederick Lonsdale. In 1935, she married as her second husband John Donaldson, an academic turned farmer who later became British Minister for the Arts. During World War II, she successfully ran their farm, and wrote Approach To Farming (1941), followed by Four Years' Harvest (1945), and Milk Without Tears (1955). She then turned to memoirs and biographies and produced Freddy (1957), about her father; The Marconi Scandal (1962); and Edward VIII (1974), which won the Wolfson History Prize that year and was the basis for a six-part television series "Edward and Mrs. Simpson." Other books included a dual biography of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (1977), and lives of Evelyn Waugh (1967) and P.G. Wodehouse (1982). She wrote her autobiography in two volumes as Child of the Twenties (1959) and A Twentieth-Century Life (1992). She became Baroness Donaldson when her husband was created Baron Donaldson of Kingsbridge in 1967.

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Anmeldelser

P.G. Wodehouse: A Biography af Frances Donaldson

I have enjoyed reading P.G. Wodehouse in the last few years so I thought getting to know him might be fun. I'm so glad I did because this book really humanized him, highlighted his humor, and addressed his faults with grace. The next time I pick up a Jeeves or Psmith book I think I will enjoy it even more now that I've learned so much about the man behind the characters.

Markeret

EmilyRaible | 2 andre anmeldelser | Sep 27, 2022 |

Evelyn Waugh: Portrait of a Country Neighbour af Frances Donaldson

Evelyn Waugh: Portrait of a Country Neighbour is a light, highly readable memoir of the author's experiences as the friend and neighbor of one of Britain's more remarkable 20th century writers. It's a bit on the gossipy, colloquial side, but it's fun and makes Waugh sound like fun (and a pain-in-the-behind). What makes it particularly interesting is that the author was an avowed Socialist, which Waugh was definitely not, so you are looking at him from a completely different point of view than if the author were one of Waugh's fellow Catholic travellers. Not a book for those looking for serious research, but if you want to know what Waugh the man was like, it's a good place to start.… (mere)

Markeret

inge87 | Oct 28, 2016 |

Yours, Plum : The letters of P. G. Wodehouse af Frances Donaldson

One for the hard-core Wodehouse enthusiast.

I read this with great enjoyment many years ago, since when it disappeared into the morass of a lifetime of detritus that I fondly call my home. Wishing to share some of my love of Wodehouse with my book club, I bought a second-hand copy and set myself to reread it some six-ish months ago.

There are indubitable gems to be had (Flo Ziegfeld and his barely one baby elephant leaps to mind), and it's good to get the real dope from the horse's mouth as it were rather than the fictionalised account to be found in Bring on the Girls (which I haven't read, but P.G. spills the beans here about the degree to which events that happened to other people were adopted therein for the sake of a good story), but there's a lot of fairly mundane stuff as well.

Really, my score is an average between the 4.5 I would have given it 20 years ago, on first reading, and the 3.5 I would give it today.… (mere)

Markeret

Vivl | May 23, 2014 |

Edward VIII af Frances Lonsdale Donaldson

Edward VIII, by Frances Donaldson, is an excruciatingly detailed biography of Edward VIII, more commonly known as the Duke of Windsor.

Much emphasis is placed upon his upbringing (not one one would envy, despite the wealth and title). The royal parents were actually quite crappy parents when you get down to it, and much of the later behaviour of the Duke can be laid at their feet.

However, in the end, the portrait painted of the Duke is one of a man, not too bright to put it mildly, badly educated, and surrounded without sycophants who told him what he wanted to hear, but with a great deal of physical charm and a practical sense of how to relate to the "common man."

The tragedy is of course that all this talent was completely wasted because he chose, early on, to marry another man's wife and spent the rest of his life a) making that happen and b) paying the consequences.

The concurrent description of Wallis Simpson was very interesting as well. She was described by many (in other books as well) as not loving him quite as much as he loved her. If she had truly wanted to prevent the "tragedy" of the life of the Duke, she would not have permitted his attentions, and would have absented herself from his presence permanently. She didn't, and much if not most of the blame for his aimless and sad later life is to be placed at her feet.

At the end of the book, and the end of his life, it's impossible not to make comparisons between the Duke and the current Prince of Wales. Consider: the Duke gave up the throne and lived a life, mainly pointless, with no real job or point to his life because he broke up a marriage and then married the divorcee. He spent the rest of his life hopelessly trying to get the Royal Family to recognize Wallis, and grant her the title of Her Royal Highness (they didn't).

The current Prince broke up a marriage, married the woman in question, lives a life without a real job or aim to his life, is surrounded by sycophants who tell him what he wants to hear, but lost nothing at all in status, money, title, etc. His wife will by all accounts become Queen of England one day. It is amazing what the passage of 80 years changed in the way of acceptance of what is identical behaviour.

What would the Royal Family be like now if Edward had not found it necessary to abdicate? He would have remained King. The Queen would have remained a Princess, Charles would not be the heir apparent. The entire Diana tragedy would not have occurred. Camilla would not be Queen in waiting.

… (mere)

Markeret

MissJessie | 2 andre anmeldelser | Oct 16, 2013 |

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