Vincent Cronin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vincent Cronin
Born	Vincent Archibald Patrick Cronin (1924-05-24)24 May 1924 Tredegar, Monmouthshire, UK
Died	25 January 2011(2011-01-25) (aged 86) Marbella, Andalusia, Spain
Occupation	Writer historian editor

Vincent Archibald Patrick Cronin (born May 24, 1924 – died January 25, 2011) was a British writer. He wrote about history, culture, and the lives of famous people. He was well-known for his books about powerful figures like Louis XIV, Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Catherine the Great, and Napoleon. He also wrote about the Renaissance period.

Vincent Cronin's Early Life and Education

Vincent Cronin was born in Tredegar, a town in Wales, on May 24, 1924. His father was A. J. Cronin, a famous Scottish doctor and novelist. His mother was May Gibson.

When Vincent was two years old, his family moved to London. He went to several well-known schools and universities. These included Ampleforth College, Harvard University in the USA, the Sorbonne in France, and Trinity College at Oxford in England.

He finished his studies at Oxford in 1947 with high honors. During the Second World War, he served as a lieutenant in the British Army.

Family Life

In 1949, Vincent Cronin married Chantal de Rolland. They had five children together. The Cronin family lived in several places over the years. Their homes included London, Marbella in Spain, and Dragey in Normandy, France. In France, they lived at a historic house called the Manoir de Brion.

Vincent Cronin passed away at his home in Marbella on January 25, 2011.

Awards and Achievements

Vincent Cronin received several important awards for his writing. He won the Richard Hillary Award and the W. H. Heinemann Award in 1955. He also received the Rockefeller Foundation Award in 1958.

He wrote articles for the Revue des Deux Mondes, a famous French magazine. He was also the first main editor for the Companion Guides series of travel books. Vincent Cronin was a member of the Council of the Royal Society of Literature, which is a group that supports writers.

His books sold many copies, but some experts didn't always agree with his historical views. For example, one reviewer called his book Catherine, Empress of All the Russias a "facile popularization," meaning it was too simple for scholars.

Books by Vincent Cronin

Vincent Cronin wrote many books, mostly about history and famous people. Here are some of his well-known works:

• The Golden Honeycomb: A Sicilian Quest (1954)
• The Wise Man from the West: Matteo Ricci and his Mission to China (1955)
• The Last Migration (1957) (This book is about the Falqani tribe in South Persia.)
• A Pearl to India: The Life of Roberto de Nobili (1959)
• The Letter After Z (1960) (This was a novel.)
• A Calendar of Saints (1963)
• The Companion Guide to Paris (1963)
• Louis XIV (1964)
• Four Women in Pursuit of an Ideal (1965) (This book was about Caroline, duchess de Berry, Marie D'Agoult, Eve Hanska, and Marie Bashkirtseff. It was also called The Romantic Way.)
• The Florentine Renaissance (1967)
• Mary Portrayed (1968)
• The Flowering of the Renaissance (1969)
• Napoleon (1971) (This book was also published as Napoleon Bonaparte: An Intimate Biography.)
• The Horizon Concise History of Italy (1972) (Also published as A Concise History of Italy.)
• Louis and Antoinette (1974)
• Catherine, Empress of All the Russias (1978)
• The View from Planet Earth: Man Looks at the Cosmos (1981)
• Paris on the Eve, 1900-1914 (1989)
• The Renaissance (1992)
• Paris: City of Light, 1919-1939 (1994)
• Chile Rediscovered (2009)
• Nero (2010)