Gilbert Frankau facts for kids

Gilbert Frankau was a well-known British writer.

Gilbert Frankau (born April 21, 1884 – died November 4, 1952) was a popular British writer. He was famous for his novels, but also wrote poetry and short stories. He was even a war poet during World War I.

Gilbert was born in London. His family was Jewish, but he became an Anglican Christian when he was 13. He went to Eton College, a famous school. After school, he joined his family's cigar business. He became the managing director when he turned 21, after his father, Arthur Frankau, passed away. Later in his life, a few months before he died at age 68, he became a Catholic.

Gilbert Frankau's Career as a Writer

Gilbert Frankau joined the British Army when World War I started in 1914. He first joined the 9th Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment. Then, in March 1915, he moved to the Royal Field Artillery. He served on the Western Front in France and Belgium. He fought in big battles like Loos, Ypres, and the Somme. He also wrote for a trench newspaper called the Wipers Times.

He was promoted to a staff captain in October 1916. He worked on special duties in Italy. He left the army in February 1918 due to health reasons. His experiences during the war later inspired many of his novels. After the war, his family business closed. Gilbert then became a full-time writer.

His Novels and Political Views

Gilbert Frankau's novels often included romantic stories. They also showed his own conservative political ideas. He sometimes wrote about what it meant to be Jewish during his time. Some of his books were even made into movies, like Christopher Strong.

He had some challenges in his personal life. These challenges made it difficult for him to achieve his political goals. The Conservative Party at that time had strict views on personal matters. Also, he openly criticized the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin. This did not help him gain favor with the party leaders.

Starting a Newspaper

In the 1920s, Gilbert Frankau wanted to be a politician. He felt that writing about politics was more important than his novels. However, his fiction writing earned him enough money to try for a seat in Parliament.

In 1928, he was asked to start a new newspaper called Britannia. This paper was meant to share right-wing ideas. Frankau put a lot of energy into this project. But the newspaper was not successful. He was later removed from his position.

At the time, Time magazine reported on his thoughts. Frankau said he wrote what he believed in. He felt he was against many people because he supported everything British. He believed Britannia stood for these values while he was in charge.

Later Political Stances

After the newspaper failed, Gilbert Frankau still wanted to join Parliament. He offered to pay for his own election campaign. However, he was told that the Conservative Party would not choose him. This was because of his personal life. He was advised to try the Labour Party instead, as they were "not so particular."

But Frankau remained a strong right-winger. In 1933, he wrote an article for the Daily Express. The headline was "As a Jew I am Not Against Hitler." This was shortly after Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. Frankau later changed his mind about this position. In the article, he wondered if Hitler was a true leader or just a good speaker. He also questioned how countries like Britain, which were disarmed, could interfere.

In his autobiography, finished in 1939, he wrote strong anti-German comments. He called Hitler and his followers "hooligans."

World War II Service

Just before World War II began, Frankau joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in August 1939. He was promoted to Squadron Leader in April 1940. He left the service in February 1941 due to health issues. In 1944, he received a permanent disability pension. He also served in the 14th (Home Guard) Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment from 1942.

Today, not many of his literary works are widely known.

Gilbert Frankau's Family

Gilbert Frankau came from a family of writers and artists.

• His mother, Julia Frankau (1859–1916), wrote under the name Frank Danby. She was also friends with Oscar Wilde.
• His youngest daughter from his first marriage, Pamela Frankau, also became a successful writer.
• His eldest daughter, Ursula D'Arch Smith, wrote as Mary Nicholson. Her son, Timothy d'Arch Smith, is a writer and bibliographer.
• His brother was the comedian Ronald Frankau.
• His sister was Joan Bennett (1896–1986), a well-known literary critic at Cambridge.
• His niece was the actress Rosemary Frankau.

Works by Gilbert Frankau