Author Description
A Late Education is the story of how Alan Moorehead, one the finest Australian Journalists of the century, grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne, how he escaped to Europe at the age of 26 and plunged into the hallucinating prewar days in London and Paris. Moorehead was in England when Edward VIII abdicated, in Paris during its last gay days of the 30's and was sent to Spain on a tanker smuggling petrol into Valencia.But this is also the story of Moorehead's friendship with a fellow journalist, Alexander Clifford. They were complementary opposites, professional rivals as well as friends. Clifford was an intellectual European and a profound pessimist, uncertain of himself and the world. The expatriate Moorehead was driven by his curiosity, brilliance and eagerness to discover the world.Together the pair went through the battles in the Western Desert, the landings in Sicily and France, and the final destruction of Hitler and Germany, which Moorehead recorded in his marvellous war books "Eclipse" and "African trilogy".After the war both Moorehead and Clifford continued to work in Europe, and their long conversations only ended with Clifford's death. By then Moorehead was writing the historical books for which he is so well known. "A Late Education", the last book he wrote, is his own history.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
How does the formation of a professional identity and a lifelong friendship shape an individual's perception of a rapidly changing 20th-century world? Alan Moorehead, a prominent Australian journalist, utilizes his own life as a primary source to document his transition from suburban Melbourne to the epicenter of pre-war European political upheaval. He presents a framework that balances personal development with the historical weight of the 1930s and the subsequent global conflict, framing his own maturation through the lens of his partnership with colleague Alexander Clifford.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Detailed accounts of pre-war social climates in London and Paris
- First-hand observations of the Spanish Civil War and the abdication of Edward VIII
- Analysis of the professional and personal dynamics between two contrasting journalists
- Reflections on the Western Desert campaign and the liberation of Europe
Scope Limits
- The narrative concludes with the death of Alexander Clifford and does not provide a comprehensive account of Moorehead's later life
- The text focuses primarily on the author's professional experiences rather than his private domestic life
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Critics and readers frequently identify this work as a poignant, reflective coda to Moorehead's extensive body of historical writing. The prose is noted for its clarity and the author's ability to synthesize personal intimacy with the broader scope of mid-century geopolitical events.
Page Count:
185
Publication Date:
1976-01-01
Publisher:
Penguin Books
ISBN-10:
0140035826
ISBN-13:
9780140035827
Biography
Memoir
20th Century
Journalists
Australian
Journalism