James Aldridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Aldridge
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James Aldridge (1987, Berlin)
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| Born | Harold Edward James Aldridge 10 July 1918 White Hills, Victoria |
| Died | 23 February 2015 (aged 96) London, United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Writer and journalist |
| Language | English |
| Genre | fiction and non-fiction |
| Subject | war and adventure novels |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards |
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Harold Edward James Aldridge (born 10 July 1918 – died 23 February 2015) was an Australian-British writer and journalist. He wrote over 30 books, including adventure stories, war novels, and books for children. During World War II, his reports from the front lines were read all over the world.
Contents
Life and Writing Journey
James Aldridge was born in White Hills, a suburb of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. In the mid-1920s, his family moved to Swan Hill. Many of his Australian stories are based on his childhood there.
Early Career and War Reporting
Aldridge studied at the London School of Economics. He worked for The Sun News-Pictorial newspaper in Melbourne from 1935 to 1938. In 1938, he moved to London, which became his home for the rest of his life.
During World War II, Aldridge worked as a war correspondent in the Middle East. He reported on the battles in Greece and Crete. His experiences during the war inspired his first novel.
First Novels and War Stories
His first novel, Signed with Their Honour, was published in 1942. It quickly became a best-seller in both Britain and the United States. The story is about a young British Royal Air Force pilot named John Quayle. He flies older planes against stronger enemy air forces over Greece, Crete, and North Africa. Critics praised the book for its vivid descriptions. It remained popular for many years.
His second novel, The Sea Eagle (1944), was also successful. It followed Australian soldiers during and after the fall of Crete in 1941. This book won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. Aldridge's early books were often compared to the style of famous American author Ernest Hemingway.
Exploring Different Themes
Aldridge's novel The Diplomat (1949) was very popular and widely read. It was a spy and political drama set during the Azerbaijan Revolution in Iran.
In 1950, he wrote The Hunter, a story about fur-hunters in the wild lands of Ontario, Canada. This showed that Aldridge liked to write about many different topics and places. Reviewers noted his direct and clear writing style.
His 1954 novel, Heroes of the Empty View, featured an English adventurer in the Middle East. It explored the conflicts and challenges faced by people fighting for freedom.
Later Novels and Cold War Themes
Aldridge continued to write about war and conflict. His 1957 novel, I Wish He Would Not Die, was set in the Desert Air Force in Egypt. He lived in Egypt for many years after the war. This inspired his 1961 novel, The Last Exile, which was about the Suez Crisis in 1957.
The tensions of the Cold War between East and West inspired his 1962 novel, A Captive in the Land. It tells the story of an English scientist who rescues a Russian survivor in the Arctic. The book explores how people react to someone who tries to bridge differences between opposing sides. This novel was made into a film in 1993.
Writing for Young Readers
From the mid-1960s, James Aldridge began writing many books for children and young adults. Several of these stories were set in his home country of Australia.
His 1966 novel, My Brother Tom, was set in a fictional Australian town called St Helen. This town was based on Swan Hill, where Aldridge grew up. This book was the first in a series of six set in St Helen. It was a love story that also explored difficult ideas, like the tensions between Catholic and Protestant communities in the town. My Brother Tom was later made into a TV mini-series in 1986.
Another book in the St Helen series, The True Story of Lilli Stubeck, was named the Children's Book Council of Australia book of the year in 1995. His 1973 children's novel, A Sporting Proposition, was made into the 1975 Disney film Ride a Wild Pony.
Awards and Recognition
James Aldridge received several important awards for his writing and his work for peace.
- In 1971, he was a judge at the 7th Moscow International Film Festival.
- He won a Lenin Peace Prize in 1972 for his efforts to promote peace.
- That same year, he received the gold medal for Journalism from the International Organization of Journalists.
- He also won the World Peace Council Gold Medal.
- For his 1986 children's novel, The True Story of Spit Macphee, he won the annual Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. This is a special award judged by British children's writers.
Published Works
- Signed with Their Honour (1942)
- The Sea Eagle (1944)
- Of Many Men (1946)
- The Diplomat (1949)
- The Hunter (1950)
- Heroes of the Empty View (1954)
- Undersea Hunting for Inexperienced Englishmen (1955)
- I Wish He Would Not Die (1957)
- The Last Exile (1961)
- A Captive in the Land (1962)
- My Brother Tom (1966)
- The Statesman's Game (1966)
- The Flying 19 (1966)
- Cairo - Biography of a City (1969)
- Living Egypt, with Paul Strand (1969)
- A Sporting Proposition (Ride a Wild Pony) (1973)
- The Untouchable Juli (1974)
- Mockery in Arms (1974)
- The Marvellous Mongolian (1974)
- One Last Glimpse (1977)
- Goodbye Un-America (1979)
- The Broken Saddle (1982)
- The True Story of Lilli Stubeck (1984)
- The True Story of Spit Macphee (1986)
- The True Story of Lola Mackellar (1992)
- The Girl from the Sea (2002)
- The Wings of Kitty St Clair (2006)
In Cinema
- The Last Inch (1958), a Soviet film based on a short story by Aldridge.
Images for kids
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1940-10. J. ALDRIDGE. (NEGATIVE BY ILLIDGE).jpg
James Aldridge in October 1940.
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ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT. 1941-04-27. A GROUP OF AUSTRALIAN WAR CORRESPONDENTS AND OTHERS RETURNING FROM CRETE ON BOARD THE R.F.A. "CHERRYLEAF", A BRITISH NAVY OILER ...jpg
Australian war correspondents returning from Crete in 1941.
