(Robert) Geoffrey Trease FRSL (11 August 1909 – 27 January 1998) was a prolific British writer who published 113 books, mainly for children, between 1934 and 1997, starting with '' Bows Against the Barons'' and ending with ''Cloak for a Spy'' in 1997. His work has been translated into 20 languages. His grandfather was a historian, and was one of the main influences on his work. He is best known for the children's novel '' Cue for Treason'' (1940). Trease's children's

historical novels Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ...

reflect his insistence on historically correct backgrounds, which he meticulously researched. His ground-breaking study ''Tales Out of School'' (1949) pioneered the idea that children's literature should be a serious subject for study and debate.

Humphrey Carpenter Humphrey William Bouverie Carpenter (29 April 1946 – 4 January 2005) was an English biographer, writer, and radio broadcaster. He is known especially for his biographies of J. R. R. Tolkien and other members of the literary society the Inkl ...

and Mari Prichard, ''The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature'' Oxford University Press, 1998. (pp. 541–2). When he began his career, his radical viewpoint was a change from the conventional and often jingoistic tone of most children's literature of the time, and he was one of the first authors who deliberately set out to appeal to both boys and girls and to feature strong leading characters of both sexes.

Life and work

Trease was born in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

in 1909, third and youngest son of George Trease (1873–1932), a wine merchant, and his wife Florence Dale (1874–1955), a doctor's daughter. He won a scholarship to

Nottingham High School , motto_translation = Praise to the end , address = Waverley Mount , city = Nottingham , county = Nottinghamshire , postcode = NG7 4ED , country = England , coordinates = , type = Independent day school , established = , closed = , religious ...

, where he wrote stories, poems, and a three-act play; awarded a Classics scholarship to

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...

, he found his tutors dull and after a year, left university without a degree and moved to London. Intent on becoming a writer, he also worked with slum children and joined a left-wing group called the "Promethean Society" whose members included

Hugh Gordon Porteus Hugh Gordon Porteus (1906–1993) was an influential reviewer of art and literature in the London of the 1930s, and also a poet. He was an admirer of Wyndham Lewis and wrote the first critical book on him, published in 1932. Lewis portrayed Porteus ...

and

Desmond Hawkins Desmond Hawkins, OBE (20 October 1908 – 6 May 1999), born in East Sheen, Surrey, was an author, editor and radio personality. Career The political and artistic upheavals of the 1930s meant a proliferation of serious magazines. Desmond w ...

. Trease described his own childhood reading as "a diet of classist and racist historical adventure" but in 1933, he came across a translation of a Russian book titled ''Moscow has a Plan'', in which a Soviet author dramatised the

First five-year plan The first five-year plan (russian: I пятилетний план, ) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was a list of economic goals, created by Communist Party General Secretary Joseph Stalin, based on his policy of socialism in ...

for young readers. Inspired by this, in 1934 Trease wrote '' Bows Against the Barons'', a left-wing update of Robin Hood that showcased a radical approach to historical literature for young people. This included the use of modern English, rather than linguistic mannerisms, strong male and female characters, often from less privileged levels of society and meticulous attention to detail. An enduring belief in equality and fairness is a theme in many of his books, as are links between the historical settings of his novels and contemporary issues. ''Bows Against the Barons'' was translated into

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

and sold immensely well there; his next work, ''Comrades for the Charter'' was less successful but '' Cue for Treason'' in 1940 proved enduringly popular and remains his best known work. His subjects cover a wide range of historical periods, such as ''

The Crown of Violet ''The Hills of Varna'' (published in the USA as ''Shadow of the Hawk'') is a children's historical novel by Geoffrey Trease, published in 1948. It is an adventure story based on the revival of classical scholarship in the Renaissance. Plot Intro ...

'', set in

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...

, ''The Red Towers of Granada'',

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, ''The Hills of Varna'',

Renaissance Europe The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

, ''Cue for Treason'' and ''Cloak for a Spy'',

Elizabethan England The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personific ...

, ''Fire on the Wind'' and ''Popinjay Stairs'', Restoration London, ''Thunder of Valmy'',

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

, ''The White Nights of St Petersburg'', the

Bolshevik Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key moment ...

and ''Tomorrow Is a Stranger'',

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Trease also wrote modern

school stories The school story is a fiction genre centring on older pre-adolescent and adolescent school life, at its most popular in the first half of the twentieth century. While examples do exist in other countries, it is most commonly set in English board ...

, including the five Black Banner novels set in the Lake District, the first being ''

No Boats on Bannermere ''No Boats on Bannermere'' is a 1949 children's novel by Geoffrey Trease, and the first of his five Bannerdale novels. They are school stories set in Cumberland, in the Lake District. Plot summary William Melbury and his younger sister Susa ...

''), as well as a number of adult novels, history, plays for radio and television, and biographies. He authored a guide aimed at teaching

creative writing Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary ...

to young adults, ''The Young Writer: A Practical Handbook''. He wrote three books of autobiography: ''A Whiff of Burnt Boats'' (1971), ''Laughter at the Door'' (1974), and in the last year of his life, the final part, ''Farewell the Hills''. This was written for his family and friends, and published privately after his death. Trease was an acknowledged influence on author

Hester Burton Hester Burton (6 December 1913 – 17 September 2000) was an English writer, mainly of historical fiction for children and young adults. She received the Carnegie Medal for her 1963 novel '' Time of Trial,'' which like many of her books was il ...

and inspired others, including

Rosemary Sutcliff Rosemary Sutcliff (14 December 1920 – 23 July 1992) was an English novelist best known for children's books, especially historical fiction and retellings of myths and legends. Although she was primarily a children's author, some of her novel ...

and

Leon Garfield Leon Garfield FRSL (14 July 1921 – 2 June 1996) was a British writer of fiction. He is best known for children's historical novels, though he also wrote for adults. He wrote more than thirty books and scripted '' Shakespeare: The Animated Ta ...

. While in some ways they outpaced him, he continued to write and published 113 books before "calling it a day" at the age of 88 because of illness. Many were translated for foreign markets, including Asia and Europe. In the United States he won the '' New York Herald Tribune'' Book Award for the Children's Spring Festival 1966 for ''This is Your Century''. He married Marian Boyer (1906–1989) in 1933 and they spent most of their marriage in

Colwall Colwall is a civil parish in Herefordshire, England, situated on the border with Worcestershire, nestling on the western side of the Malvern Hills at the heart of the AONB. Areas of the village are known as Colwall Stone, Upper Colwall which sha ...

, near The Downs School,

Great Malvern Great Malvern is an area of the spa town of Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It lies at the foot of the Malvern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the eastern flanks of the Worcestershire Beacon and North Hill, and i ...

. They had one daughter, Jocelyne, and moved to Bath to be closer to her, shortly before Marian's death.

Works

Children's writing

Junior novels

*'' Bows Against the Barons'' (Lawrence) (1934) *''Comrades for the Charter'' (Lawrence) (1934) *''The New House at Hardale'' ( Boys Own Paper - 2 instalments) (1934) *''Call to Arms'' (Lawrence) (1935) *''Missing from Home'' (

Lawrence & Wishart Lawrence & Wishart is a British publishing company formerly associated with the Communist Party of Great Britain. It was formed in 1936, through the merger of Martin Lawrence, the Communist Party's press, and Wishart Ltd, a family-owned Left-wing ...

) (1937) *''Mystery on the Moors'' (Black) (1937) *''The Christmas Holiday Mystery'' (Black) (1937) *''Detectives of the Dales'' (Black) (1938) *''In the Land of the Mogul'' (Black) (1938) *'' Cue for Treason'' (

Blackwell Blackwell may refer to: Places ;Canada * Blackwell, Ontario ;United Kingdom * Blackwell, County Durham, England * Blackwell, Carlisle, Cumbria, England * Blackwell (historic house), South Lakeland, Cumbria, England * Blackwell, Bolsover, Alfre ...

) (1940) *''Running Deer'' (Harrap) (1941) *''Grey Adventurer'' (

) (1942) *''Black Night, Red Morning'' (

) (1944) *''Trumpets in the West'' (

) Revised Edition 1994 (Piper) Paperback only (1947) *''Silver Guard'' (

) (1948) *''

The Hills of Varna ''The Hills of Varna'' (published in the USA as ''Shadow of the Hawk'') is a children's historical novel by Geoffrey Trease, published in 1948. It is an adventure story based on the revival of classical scholarship in the Renaissance. Plot Intro ...

'' ( Macmillan) US title: ''Shadow of the Hawk'' (

Vanguard Press The Vanguard Press (1926–1988) was a United States publishing house established with a $100,000 grant from the left wing American Fund for Public Service, better known as the Garland Fund. Throughout the 1920s, Vanguard Press issued an array of ...

) (1948) *''

'' (

Heinemann Heinemann may refer to: * Heinemann (surname) * Heinemann (publisher), a publishing company * Heinemann Park, a.k.a. Pelican Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States See also * Heineman * Jamie Hyneman James Franklin Hyneman (born Se ...

) (1949) (1st in Bannermere series) *''The Secret Fiord'' ( Macmillan) (1950) *''Sir Walter Raleigh: Captain and Adventurer'' (

Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...

) (1950) *''Under Black Banner'' (

) (1951) (2nd in Bannermere series) *''

'' ( Macmillan) US title: ''Web of Traitors'' (Vanguard) (1952) *''Black Banner Players'' (

) (1952) (3rd in Bannermere series) *''The Barons' Hostage'' (Phoenix House) Revised Edition 1973 (Brockhampton Press) (1952) *''The Silken Secret'' (

) (1953) *''The Island of the Gods'' ( Children's Newspaper - Serial 14 parts) (1954) *''Black Banner Abroad'' (

) (1954) (4th in Bannermere series) *''Word to Caesar'' ( Macmillan) US title: ''Message to Hadrian'' (Vanguard) (1955) *''The School Beyond the Snows'' ( Children's Newspaper) (1955) *''The Gates of Bannerdale'' (

) (1956) (5th in Bannermere series) *''Mist over Athelney'' ( Macmillan) US title: ''Escape to King Alfred'' (Vanguard) (1958) *''Thunder of Valmy'' ( Macmillan) US title: ''Victory at Valmy'' (Vanguard) (1960) *''The House of Blue Dragons'' ( Children's Newspaper - Serial 16 parts) (1960) *''The Maythorn Story'' (

) (1960) *''Change at Maythorn'' (

) (1962) *''Follow my Black Plume'' ( Macmillan) (1963) *''A Thousand for Sicily'' ( Macmillan) (1964) *''The Red Towers of Granada'' ( Macmillan) (1966) *''The White Nights of St Petersburg'' ( Macmillan) (1967) *''Horsemen on the Hills'' ( Macmillan) (1971) *''Popinjay Stairs'' ( Macmillan) (1972) *''The Iron Tsar'' ( Macmillan) (1975) *''Violet for Bonaparte'' ( Macmillan) (1976) *''The Seas of Morning'' ( Puffin) Paperback only (1976) *''The Field of the Forty Footsteps'' ( Macmillan) (1977) *''Mandeville'' ( Macmillan) (1980) *''Saraband for Shadows'' ( Macmillan) (1982) *''The Cormorant Venture'' ( Macmillan) (1984) *''Tomorrow is a Stranger'' (

) (1987) *''The Arpino Assignment'' (Walker) (1988) *''Shadow Under the Sea'' (Walker) (1990) *''Calabrian Quest'' (Walker) (1990) *''Song for a Tattered Flag'' (Walker) Paperback only (1992) *''Fire on the Wind'' ( Macmillan) (1993) *''Bring Out the Banners'' (Walker) (1994) *''No Horn at Midnight'' ( Macmillan) (1995) *''Curse on the Sea'' (Hodder Children's Books) Paperback only (1996) *''Cloak for a Spy'' ( Macmillan) Paperback only (1997) *''Danger in the Wings'' (Hodder Children's Books) (1997)

For younger readers

*''The Fair Flower of Danger'' (

) (1955) *''The Dutch are Coming'' ( Hamish Hamilton) (1965) *''Bent is the Bow'' (Nelson) (1965) *''The Runaway Serf'' ( Hamish Hamilton) (1968) *''A Masque for the Queen'' ( Hamish Hamilton) (1970) *''A Ship to Rome'' (

) (1972) *''A Voice in the Night'' (

) (1973) *''The Chocolate Boy'' (

) (1975) *''When the Drums Beat'' (

) (1976) *''The Spycatchers'' ( Hamish Hamilton) (1976) *''The Claws of the Eagle'' (

) (1977) *''The Running of the Deer'' ( Hamish Hamilton) (1982) *''A Flight of Angels'' ( Macmillan) (1989) *''Aunt Augusta's Elephant'' ( Macmillan) (1991) *''Henry, King to Be'' (Macdonald Young Books) (1995) *''Page to Queen Jane'' (Macdonald Young Books) (1996) *''Elizabeth, Princess in Peril'' (Macdonald Young Books) (1997) *''Mission to Marathon'' ( A & C Black) (1997)

Other children's books

*''Red Comet: A Tale of Travel in the USSR'' (Lawrence) (1937) *''Fortune, My Foe: The Story of Sir Walter Raleigh'' ( Methuen) (1949) *''The Mystery of Moorside Farm - also contains The Secret of Sharn and In the Blood'' ( Macmillan) (1949) *''The Young Traveller in India and Pakistan'' (Phoenix House) (1949) *''Enjoying Books'' (Phoenix House) (1951) *''The Young Traveller in England and Wales'' (Phoenix House) (1953) *''Seven Queens of England'' (

) (1953) *''Seven Kings of England'' (

) (1955) *''The Young Traveller in Greece'' (Phoenix House) (1956) *''Edward Elgar, Maker of Music'' ( Macmillan) (1960) *''The Young Writer'' (Nelson) (1961) *''Wolfgang Mozart : The Young Composer'' ( Macmillan) (1961) *''Seven Stages'' (

) (1964) *''This is Your Century'' (

) (1965) *''Seven Sovereign Queens'' (

) (1968) *''Byron, A Poet Dangerous to Know'' ( Macmillan) (1969) *''D. H. Lawrence, The Phoenix and the Flame'' ( Macmillan) (1973) *''Days to Remember, A Garland of Historic Anniversaries'' (

) Short Stories (1973) *''Britain Yesterday'' (Basil

) (1975) *''A Wood by Moonlight and other Stories'' (

) Short Stories (1981) *''Timechanges: The Evolution of Everyday Life'' (Kingfisher) (1985) *''Looking through History: The Edwardian Era'' (Batsford) (1986) *''Hidden Treasure'' (Evans) (1989)

Adult writing

Novels

*''Such Divinity'' (

Chapman and Hall Chapman & Hall is an imprint owned by CRC Press, originally founded as a British publishing house in London in the first half of the 19th century by Edward Chapman and William Hall. Chapman & Hall were publishers for Charles Dickens (from 1840 ...

) (1939) *''Only Natural'' (

) (1940) *''Snared Nightingale'' ( Macmillan) (1957) *''So Wild the Heart'' ( Macmillan) (1959)

Autobiography

*''A Whiff of Burnt Boats'' ( Macmillan) (1971) *''Laughter at the Door'' ( Macmillan) (1974) *''Farewell the Hills'' (Privately Printed) (1998)

Other adult works

*''The Supreme Prize'' (Arthur H Stockwell) Poems (c1926) *''The Unsleeping Sword'' (Martin Lawrence) (1934) *''Walking in England'' (Fenland Press) (1935) *''North Sea Spy'' (Fore) (1939) *''Clem Voroshilov: The Red Marshall'' (Pilot Press) (1940) *''Army without Banners'' (Fore) (1945) *''Tales Out of School'' (

) Revised Edition 1964 (1948) *''The Italian Story: From the Earliest Times to 1946'' ( Macmillan) (1963) *''The Grand Tour'' (

) (1967) *''Matthew Todd's Journal'' (Editor) (

) (1968) *''Nottingham: A Biography'' ( Macmillan) (1970) *''The Condottieri: Soldiers of Fortune'' (

Thames and Hudson Thames & Hudson (sometimes T&H for brevity) is a publisher of illustrated books in all visually creative categories: art, architecture, design, photography, fashion, film, and the performing arts. It also publishes books on archaeology, history, ...

) (1971) *''Samuel Pepys and his World'' (

) (1972) *''London: A Concise History'' (

) (1975) *''Portrait of a Cavalier'' ( Macmillan) Biography (1979)

Published plays

*''After the Tempest'' (published in ''Best One Act Plays of 1938'') (Muller) (1938) *''The Dragon Who Was Different and Other Plays for Children'' (Muller) (1938) *''The Shadow of Spain and Other Plays'' (

) (1953)

Awards

*New York Herald Tribune Award for ''This is Your Century''

References

* * * *''Geoffrey Trease'' by Margaret Meek, 1960

External links

Google Book Search for 'Geoffrey Trease'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trease, Geoffrey 1909 births 1998 deaths English historical novelists English children's writers People from Nottingham People educated at Nottingham High School 20th-century English novelists Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Writers of historical fiction set in antiquity Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period Writers of historical fiction set in the modern age