Anneca Posted 24 November , 2011 Share Posted 24 November , 2011 The BBC now has archives of interviews on Desert Island Discs since 1944. Sue Lawley's castaway on 6 December 1998 was the Military Historian John Keegan, author of such books as 'The First World War' and 'The Face of Battle'. As a boy he would listen to his Father's tales of war on the Western Front. Disabled because of a childhood illness, he was unable to become a soldier himself and so chose to document their history instead. The link is: http://downloads.bbc...81206-1115a.mp3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBully Posted 3 December , 2011 Share Posted 3 December , 2011 Thanks for posting this, appreciated. Interesting interview with some discussion which is helpful for anyone studying Military History. Like the fact that the book John Keegan wished to have on the desert island was John Buchan's '39 Steps'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 5 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 5 December , 2011 Yes, I also liked the fact that John Keegan's book choice was John Buchan's '39 Steps'. I read it well over 40 years ago and listening to the interview has urged me to read it again. Thanks for posting this, appreciated. Interesting interview with some discussion which is helpful for anyone studying Military History. Like the fact that the book John Keegan wished to have on the desert island was John Buchan's '39 Steps'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBully Posted 5 December , 2011 Share Posted 5 December , 2011 Hello Anneca, there is a thread on John Buchan and the '39 Steps' here http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=113729&st=0&p=1084612&fromsearch=1entry1084612 Hope it's of interest. Yes, I also liked the fact that John Keegan's book choice was John Buchan's '39 Steps'. I read it well over 40 years ago and listening to the interview has urged me to read it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 5 December , 2011 Share Posted 5 December , 2011 Radio 4 Extra seem to be doing a sort of season of Buchan dramatisations. A few weeks ago I heard 'Mr Standfast', set during the Great War and last night 'Courts of the Morning'. They've also broadcast 'Greenmantle' recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 6 December , 2011 Share Posted 6 December , 2011 I hope the website has updated itself to refer to Sir John Keegan. Admittedly two years after this programme... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 6 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 6 December , 2011 Thanks for that Michael, much appreciated. Hello Anneca, there is a thread on John Buchan and the '39 Steps' here http://1914-1918.inv...1 Hope it's of interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanCurragh Posted 2 August , 2012 Share Posted 2 August , 2012 Very sadly, Sir John Keegan has passed away http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/books-obituaries/9447744/Sir-John-Keegan.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Sheldon Posted 2 August , 2012 Share Posted 2 August , 2012 Tragic. He taught me many moons ago at Sandhurst and kindled a life long interest in military history. RIP. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 2 August , 2012 Share Posted 2 August , 2012 At least he is now spared the illness and pain of later life, which were heartbreaking to see. He broke the mould and will be sorely missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 2 August , 2012 Share Posted 2 August , 2012 The BBC now has archives of interviews on Desert Island Discs since 1944. Sue Lawley's castaway on 6 December 1998 was the Military Historian John Keegan, author of such books as 'The First World War' and 'The Face of Battle'. As a boy he would listen to his Father's tales of war on the Western Front. Disabled because of a childhood illness, he was unable to become a soldier himself and so chose to document their history instead. The link is: [media=]http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/dida/dida_19981206-1115a.mp3[/media] Thanks for the link. Not only was the interview with Keegan interesting but they played some of my favourite music. Schumann's "Kinderszenen" and "Hebridean Overture". I used to listen to Alexander Gibson and the SNO as a child. hazel C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 2 August , 2012 Author Share Posted 2 August , 2012 Very sadly, Sir John Keegan has passed away http://www.telegraph...ohn-Keegan.html Thank you for this Alan, I had no idea Sir John Keegan had passed away. Must say I am shocked to say the least as he was a special person. Most grateful for your post on this.Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 2 August , 2012 Author Share Posted 2 August , 2012 Thanks for the link. Not only was the interview with Keegan interesting but they played some of my favourite music. Schumann's "Kinderszenen" and "Hebridean Overture". I used to listen to Alexander Gibson and the SNO as a child. hazel C Yes Hazel the music on this was wonderful - you share the same taste in music as myself. It was very sad to hear of this wonderful man's death.Regards Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 2 August , 2012 Author Share Posted 2 August , 2012 Tragic. He taught me many moons ago at Sandhurst and kindled a life long interest in military history. RIP. Jack Jack, I think it must have been wonderful to have been taught by him - you must have many happy memories. Like you, RIP.Regards Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 3 August , 2012 Share Posted 3 August , 2012 Saw the obit in today's Tottygraph (always the first page I open). The Face of Battle is still one of the best books on war ever written. To describe someone as a "great" anything is too often a cop-out, but in Sir John's case I think the word is extremely apt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank_East Posted 3 August , 2012 Share Posted 3 August , 2012 Keegan was a young victim of TB,"consumption" in those days. It prevented him from experiencing military service.Sadly, although largely erradicated, it is now again with us and according to a medical source I heard discussing it the other day,the disease is not being addressed as it should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmac Posted 3 August , 2012 Share Posted 3 August , 2012 A very sad loss. 'Face of Battle' a seminal work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 3 August , 2012 Share Posted 3 August , 2012 The telegraph obit was exteremly sound i thought. It was interesting to see note of the jealousy of Keegan which was expressed by a number of military historians and lecturers. It was and they should have known better. It was particularly rife when he landed the Telegraph job. One who has now become extreely well known considered that he had sold out. As they say the disagreements between academics are so vituperative beacause they are so unimportant - I misquote slightly. The Face of Battle was a great influence the developement of interest in the gReat war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 3 August , 2012 Share Posted 3 August , 2012 I'm saddened to hear this news. I liked and appreciated John Keegan's style of writing and found the books of his I have read (Face of Battle and The First World War) interesting and written in a way that made me want to continue reading them, and will read again. Unlike other books on the same subject that I've been unable to finish and tended to use for reference purposes only (or doorstops). I thought he must have been an excellent lecturer. I'm not at all surprised that anyone privileged enough to have been taught by him would have developed a lifelong interest in military history (as per Jack's post) RIP Caryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rose of picardy Posted 3 August , 2012 Share Posted 3 August , 2012 I listed this link in the Book Review section, but I will re-post it here. http://www.booktv.org/Program/3808/In+Depth+John+Keegan+19342012.aspx This is Mr. Keegan on the "In Depth" program on Book TV. This is a three hour interview with him including questions from listeners about his books. I haven't watched this particular segment yet, but I have watched other authors on this program. I enjoyed the programs I saw ( Shelby Foote, Jeff Shaara). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandie Hayes Posted 3 August , 2012 Share Posted 3 August , 2012 Keegan was a young victim of TB,"consumption" in those days. It prevented him from experiencing military service.Sadly, although largely erradicated, it is now again with us and according to a medical source I heard discussing it the other day,the disease is not being addressed as it should be. Not wishing to take this discussion in another direction but I don't think people realise just how common TB is today. Research is currently centred around the influx of Eastern Europeans to UK. Transient casual workers, homeless men and women and Eastern European immigrants are the top 3 categories most at risk. The number 1 cause for passing the disease is thought to be,,, spitting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 4 August , 2012 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2012 At the beginning of the interview in my first post by Sue Lawley, she quotes: "I have not been in battle, nor seen one, nor heard one from afar, but I can give myself waking nightmares about what it is like to be in war." This leads me to think that Sir John, in his lifetime, lived and breathed the war as if he had been there himself, and shared the passion of his favourite subject with so many. He was a wonderful person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 4 August , 2012 Admin Share Posted 4 August , 2012 Not only a brilliant and comprehensive obituary in the Times today, but also mentioned in the editorial, under the sub heading - "A profound and authoritative voice on conflict has fallen silent" The editorial notes that 'Face of Battle' was published a year after Paul Fussell's 'The Great War and Modern Memory' but Keegan's work was surely a counterpoint to the then prevalent 'Oh what a lovely war/Donkeys' view of the Great War so prevalent in the previous decade (and a lot more exciting than Fussell's rather more 'difficult' work!). The Times obituary notes of the Face of Battle, "he broke with the usual practice among military historians as being ' as reluctant to describe the realities of battle as romantic novelists the act of sex'". I return to Face of Battle again and again for his analysis and insight - for example, was he right did the machine gun kill more than the received wisdom artillery caused the most casualties? As he points out many of the former died on the battlefield and cause of death was not recorded, unlike the victims of shellfire who died in hospital. An open question but at least he posed it as one example, of many, of the trials of the soldiers on the battlefield. RIP - he truly was an inspiration Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 4 August , 2012 Share Posted 4 August , 2012 He was very self-deprecating about his lecturing ability. I saw him give a talk to the War Studies Seminar at Cambridge University in the early 1980s. He warned us in advance that some days he was much better than others, for no reason that he could analyse. After twenty-odd years of teaching and lecturing I know how he felt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBully Posted 4 August , 2012 Share Posted 4 August , 2012 Sorry to hear of Sir John Keegan's passing. A superb military historian. RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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