To War with Whitaker
Wartime Diaries of the Countess of Ranfurly, 1939-45
Published on 22. May 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
380 pages
978-1-4472-5940-4 (ISBN)
Description
Hermione, Countess of Ranfurly, kept a diary for seventy five years, and To War with Whitaker guides us through the most adventurous, most defiant, and most valiant of those years.
Hermione and Dan Ranfurly married only months before the Second World War erupted. So when Dan was posted to the Middle East, taking only their faithful butler Whitaker with him, Hermione resolved to join them there. This memoir showcases astounding displays of commitment and independence; after vowing not to go home without her husband, Hermione travelled alone from Cape Town to Palestine for the six years he was imprisoned, meeting many notable characters along the way.
With wit and exuberance Hermione's diary entries take us To War with Whitaker and back again, providing sharp insight of the strong and outspoken woman she always was.
Hermione and Dan Ranfurly married only months before the Second World War erupted. So when Dan was posted to the Middle East, taking only their faithful butler Whitaker with him, Hermione resolved to join them there. This memoir showcases astounding displays of commitment and independence; after vowing not to go home without her husband, Hermione travelled alone from Cape Town to Palestine for the six years he was imprisoned, meeting many notable characters along the way.
With wit and exuberance Hermione's diary entries take us To War with Whitaker and back again, providing sharp insight of the strong and outspoken woman she always was.
Reviews / Votes
An extraordinary story. No review can do justice to the writing -- Robert Rhodes-James * Sunday Express * These absolutely spiffing diaries offer a madcap, aristocratic window behind the lines of war * Daily Mail * Few diaries from any era could be as fascinating . . . This is truly compulsive reading * Woman and Home *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 133 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
480 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4472-5940-4 (9781447259404)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Born in 1913 Hermione Llewellyn lived in the comfort of her family estate until the age of 13 when her parents lost their fortune and separated. As an independent 24 year old, Hermione moved to Australia to become the personal assistant to the Governor of New South Wales. It was there that she met her husband to be, Daniel Knox, 6th Earl of Ranfurly.
On the outbreak of The Second World War, Daniel Ranfurly was posted to the Middle East and Lady Ranfurly broke all protocol by insisting on joining him there. During her six years travelling she held a variety of jobs and mixed with a myriad of important people: from Churchill, to the kings of Greece, Egypt and Yugoslavia, and writers such as Noel Coward and Evelyn Waugh.
After the war Lord Ranfurly was appointed Governor of the Bahamas. Not one to rest on her laurels, Lady Ranfurly set about providing local schools and libraries with the books they lacked. Upon returning to London she continued to send books all over the world, a service which evolved into the organisation Book Aid International, and has sent over 32 million books to libraries across the world.
On the outbreak of The Second World War, Daniel Ranfurly was posted to the Middle East and Lady Ranfurly broke all protocol by insisting on joining him there. During her six years travelling she held a variety of jobs and mixed with a myriad of important people: from Churchill, to the kings of Greece, Egypt and Yugoslavia, and writers such as Noel Coward and Evelyn Waugh.
After the war Lord Ranfurly was appointed Governor of the Bahamas. Not one to rest on her laurels, Lady Ranfurly set about providing local schools and libraries with the books they lacked. Upon returning to London she continued to send books all over the world, a service which evolved into the organisation Book Aid International, and has sent over 32 million books to libraries across the world.