Donald Adamson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Donald Adamson
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| Born | 30 March 1939 Culcheth, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 18 January 2024 (aged 84) Polperro, Cornwall, England |
| Occupation | Author and historian |
| Alma mater | Magdalen College, Oxford |
| Genre | Literary romanticism |
| Subject | History of literature, philosophy and biography |
| Notable works | Blaise Pascal: Mathematician, Physicist, and Thinker about God |
| Spouse | Helen née Griffiths (m. 1966) |
| Children | 2 sons |
Donald Adamson (born 30 March 1939 – died 18 January 2024) was a British writer, thinker, and historian. He was known for his work on literature and history.
He wrote important books like Blaise Pascal: Mathematician, Physicist, and Thinker about God and Balzac and the Tradition of the European Novel. His writings are seen as a great way to learn about European literature.
Contents
About His Life
Donald Adamson was born in Culcheth, Lancashire, England. He grew up on a family farm.
He went to Manchester Grammar School from 1949 to 1956. Later, he studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, a famous university. He earned his first degree in 1959 and a higher degree in 1963. He also won a special prize from the University of Oxford and studied in Paris. He earned his PhD, which is a very high university degree, by writing about the writer Balzac and art.
Adamson spent much of his career teaching at universities. He taught at Goldsmiths' College starting in 1969. There, he helped improve the University of London's reputation in French academic circles. He was a recognized teacher in the Arts and Education departments until 1989. He also led the exam board at London University for several years.
In 1989, he became a Visiting Fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge. He worked to promote public policy on the arts, libraries, and museums. He helped create the National Heritage Memorial Fund, which protects important historical sites. He also helped judge the Museum of the Year Awards and gave donations to national libraries.
Donald Adamson joined the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 1981. This is a very old organization that does charity work. He served as a Deputy Director for the Order in England until 2008.
From 2012 to 2013, Adamson was the Master of the Worshipful Company of Curriers in the City of London. This is one of London's historic trade groups. As Master, he started an essay prize for young university graduates. He also created sixteen yearly prizes in mathematics and history for students aged 14 to 15 at four schools in London.
He was very interested in the history of religion and his family history (genealogy). He also loved collecting Western European art.
Donald Adamson and his wife lived in both Kent and Polperro, Cornwall. He wrote a lot about the history of Cornwall. He passed away suddenly in Polperro on 18 January 2024, at the age of 84.
Awards and Memberships
Donald Adamson received many awards and was a member of important groups:
Knight of Justice, Order of St John of Jerusalem
Service Medal, Order of St John of Jerusalem (with a special bar)
Officer, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (a French award for arts and literature)
Knight, Ordre des Palmes académiques (a French award for academics)
Cross of Merit, Order pro Merito Melitensi- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (a member of a group for important writers)
- Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (a member of a group for important historians)
- Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (a member of a group for people who study old things)
- Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (an honorary member of a group for language experts)
- Justice of the Peace (JP) for the City of London and later Cornwall. A JP is a volunteer who helps with local justice.
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What He Wrote About
Donald Adamson's writings covered many topics:
The Genesis of Le Cousin Pons
This book looked closely at how the novel Le Cousin Pons by Balzac was written. It showed how Balzac changed the story from a short tale into a long, important book.
Illusions Perdues
This was a study of another famous Balzac novel, Illusions Perdues. Adamson explored how the story was based on Balzac's own life. He also looked at how the book showed the difference between city and country life, and how journalism can change public opinion. A key idea was that "fiction" can hold "truth" and "truth" can be like "fiction."
Blaise Pascal
His book about Blaise Pascal looked at Pascal's life as a scientist, mathematician, and religious thinker. It even included a chapter on "Pascal's Wager," which is a famous idea about believing in God. Adamson focused on Pascal's thoughts about human nature.
Historical Writings
Adamson wrote about different areas of history:
- He wrote about Spanish art and French Romanticism, explaining how Spain's art became known to travelers from other parts of Europe.
- He wrote articles about the history of old estates (manorial history) and the history of banking.
- He also wrote about how a City livery company works today.
- He even wrote about travel in England and Wales in the 1700s.
Adamson also wrote about one year in the life of the artist Oskar Kokoschka. He also shared his memories of the famous writer William Golding.
His Ideas on Literature
Donald Adamson believed that literature doesn't always need to have a special social purpose. However, he thought it could definitely show social problems, like the works of Émile Zola or D. H. Lawrence.
He felt that a novel, a short story, or a biography (a book about someone's life) isn't just an interesting tale. He agreed with the poet Matthew Arnold, who said that the best writing is like "a criticism of life." This means that good writing shares a way of looking at the world, or "How to live."
Adamson found Blaise Pascal's ideas very interesting. Pascal's way of thinking was unique because it was based on how humans really are. It didn't just try to convince people with mathematics. Pascal's ideas were also similar to existentialism, a way of thinking that became popular much later, because they focused on human experience.
See also
In Spanish: Donald Adamson para niños
