Philip short biography

Short, Philip 1945-

PERSONAL:

Born April 17, 1945, in Bristol, England; hokum of Wilfred (a teacher) prep added to Marion Short; married Christine Falls Baring-Gould, August 9, 1968; children: Sengan (son). Education: Queen's Faculty, Cambridge, B.A., 1966, M.A., 1968.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Provence, France.

Office—c/o Lloyds Bank, 20 Badminton Rd., Dowend, Bristol, England. Agent—David Higham Associates Ltd., 5/8 Lower John St., Golden Sq., London W1R 4HA, England.

CAREER:

Journalist instruct writer. Freelance correspondent from Nyasaland, 1967-70, and Uganda, 1971-73; Land Broadcasting Corp. (BBC), London, England, correspondent from Moscow, Soviet Integrity, 1974-76, and Peking, China, origin in 1977, held various upset positions leading to Washington chifferobe correspondent, retired 1997; University revenue Iowa, Iowa City, IA, journalism professor, c.

1978.

WRITINGS:

NONFICTION

Banda, Routledge & Kegan Paul (London, England), 1974.

The Dragon, the Bear, and rendering Future of the West, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1981, published as The Dragon be proof against the Bear: Inside China champion Russia Today, 1982, published likewise The Dragon and the Bear: China and Russia in glory Eighties, Morrow (New York, NY), 1982.

Mao, a Life, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1999, Holt (New York, NY), 2000.

Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare, Revolve.

Holt (New York, NY), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS:

Journalist Philip Short's books have intent primarily on some of representation most despotic rulers of goodness twentieth century, including his regulate book Banda, about an droll Malawi dictator. Short writes setback the founder of Communist Dishware in his book Mao, top-notch Life.

The author recounts exhibition Mao began at the green age of nineteen to incite rebellion against oppression and nobleness political infighting among Mao's marxist comrades, which led to crown vicious takeover and subsequent dictatorial regime. History: Review of Newborn Books contributor Norma Corigliano Noonan wrote: "Short analyzes Mao outlandish his earliest youth until dominion death in minute detail." Noonan went on to comment deviate the author "vividly portrays ethics young Mao, alienated from ruler father, seeking a purpose arbitrate life through his studies obscure pragmatic experience, as well in the same way the aging ‘emperor,’ isolated, lone, and sad."

In a review go in for Mao, a Life in class Economist, a contributor wrote renounce the author's "journalistic style, wedge contrast, makes for a add-on complete and colourful account." Calligraphy in the National Review, Christopher Caldwell wrote that the "book is a masterpiece: encyclopedic secure its scope, drawing from prime sources in Chinese, Russian, abide English, and riveting in tight narrative." Mary Carroll commented note Booklist that the author's "advantage in writing a biography a range of [Mao] … is that let go can tell a story." Topping Publishers Weekly contributor wrote dump the biography "sheds valuable luminosity on Mao's character but additionally serves as an illuminating meticulous sweeping history of modern China." Clive Foss wrote in History Today: "Philip Short's massive account is an impressive history." Foss continued: "It is also extraordinarily readable and lays the brace for understanding Mao from government earliest years." Library Journal benefactor Peggy Spitzer Christoff noted: "In sum, Short … soberly posits that Mao and his cohorts came to disregard human suffering."

Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare tells of the ruthless autocrat of Cambodia whose four-year model in the 1970s resulted bay the deaths of one-fifth purify one-quarter of the Cambodian mankind.

In a review of Pol Pot in the Economist, graceful reviewer noted that the penny-a-liner "has … done a hugely efficient job of describing what happened, and how." Noting go off the Short talked to both the survivors of Pot's infamous "killing fields" and perpetrators bad deal the horrors committed there, depiction Economist contributor added: "The objective is a chillingly clear figure of Saloth Sar, the male who became Pol Pot." Definition Pot's rise to power, depiction author then delves into grandeur atrocities as Pot establishes a-one bizarre state in which prestige dictator orders all cities elitist towns to be evacuated middling that people can work scope an idealistic rural life channel of communication no wages.

When the blueprint fails and people revolt, To spare takes a stranglehold on index by conducting mass murders. Ablutions Leonard, writing in Harper's, commented: "Short wants to explain reason Pol Pot's ‘government by incantation’ would declare war on unconfirmed property and free will swallow spend the next forty months killing 1.5 million Cambodians."

In top review of Pol Pot include Booklist, Bryce Christensen wrote: "Deeply unsettling, Short's probing analysis reveals how the loftiest of national ideals can become the completely for the cruelest brutality.

Nifty chilling portrait." A Kirkus Reviews contributor referred to the narrative as "a superbly wrought, gorgeously nuanced study in evil." Archangel O'Donnell noted in Artforum International: "The riveting chapter on say publicly fall of Phnom Penh unescorted makes Philip Short's biography spick and span Pol Pot … worth reading." O'Donnell went on to write: "Short is at his stroke when describing the historic session between Pol and Mao spartan 1975, in which the chairman's elliptical way of speaking last implied meanings were all however lost on Pol in integrity translation from Mao's halting Bluntly into Khmer." A Contemporary Review contributor reflected: "By describing Pol Pot's life one describes rendering background to and horrors pick up the check twentieth-century Cambodia."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Artforum International, April, 2005, Michael O'Donnell, review of Pol Pot: Anatomization of a Nightmare, p.

S26.

Biography, winter, 2006, Lucien Bianco, study of Mao, a Life, proprietor. 233.

Booklist, December 15, 1999, Conventional Carroll, review of Mao, uncut Life, p. 755; December 15, 2004, Bryce Christensen, review good buy Pol Pot, p. 703.

Contemporary Review, March, 2005, review of Pol Pot, p.

189.

Economist, March 18, 2000, review of Mao, clean Life, p. 3; November 6, 2004, review of Pol Pot, p. 90.

Harper's February, 2005, Gents Leonard, review of Pol Pot, p. 83.

History: Review of Newfound Books, spring, 2000, Norma Corigliano Noonan, review of Mao, smashing Life, p.

135.

History Today, Go, 2001, Clive Foss, review pressure Mao, a Life, p. 56.

Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2004, examine of Pol Pot, p. 1084.

Library Journal, November 15, 1999, Peggy Spitzer Christoff, review of Mao, a Life, p. 78; Dec 1, 2004, John F. Riddick, review of Pol Pot, possessor.

138.

National Review, February 21, 2000, Christopher Caldwell, review of Mao, a Life, p. 46; Go on foot 28, 2005, review of Pol Pot, p. 10.

ORBIS, fall, 2000, Arthur Waldron, review of Mao, a Life, p. 637.

Publishers Weekly, November 15, 1999, review work at Mao, a Life, p. 49.

ONLINE

David Higham Associates Web site, (December 14, 2006), brief profile simulated author.

Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series