Michael Arthur Lewis (3 January 1890 – 27 February 1970) was a British

naval historian Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Even in the interior of large la ...

, as well as a fiction writer, who was Professor of History and English at the

Royal Naval College, Greenwich The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers. The equiv ...

, between 1934 and 1955.

Early life and education

Born at

Freeland, Oxfordshire Freeland is a village and civil parish about northeast of Witney in Oxfordshire. The 2021 Census recorded the parish population as 1,490. History Freeland village began as part of the parish of Eynsham. Its toponym is derived from the common ...

, Lewis was the second son of The Rev'd Victor Arthur Nicholas Lewis, of the Dower House, Freeland, a church of England clergyman, and his wife Mary Ann, daughter of Rev. Jonathan Clayton, a headmaster, and niece of the clergyman and

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

tutor Charles Clayton. The Lewis family were minor

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...

gentry, with a strong clerical tradition alongside farming, who had made money in inn-keeping; on his father's side Lewis descended from the sailor Sir

Richard Hawkins Admiral Sir Richard Hawkins (or Hawkyns) (c. 1562 – 17 April 1622) was a 17th-century English seaman, explorer and privateer. He was the son of Admiral Sir John Hawkins. Biography He was from his earlier days familiar with ships and the s ...

and the judge Sir William Elias Taunton, whose father, also Sir William Elias Taunton, Clerk of the Peace of Oxfordshire and Town Clerk of Oxford, bought the Freeland Lodge estate near

Eynsham Eynsham is an English village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Oxfordshire, about north-west of Oxford and east of Witney. The United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census recorded a parish population of 4,648. It was estimated at 5,0 ...

, Oxfordshire where Lewis was born a century later.Ancestors: A Personal Exploration into the Past, Michael Lewis, Hodder & Stoughton, 1966, p. 200 Lewis was educated at

Uppingham School Uppingham School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils 13-18) in Uppingham, Rutland, England, founded in 1584 by Robert Johnson (rector), Robert Johnson, the Archdeacon of Leicester, who also established Oa ...

and studied at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

, where he took a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree with honours in 1912 and a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in 1924. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he served in the

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

from 1914 to 1919, becoming a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

Academic career

Lewis spent his entire 42-year academic career in English naval colleges. In 1913, he was appointed an assistant master at the

Royal Naval College, Osborne The Royal Naval College, Osborne, was a training college for Royal Navy officer cadets on the Osborne House estate, Isle of Wight, established in 1903 and closed in 1921. Boys were admitted at about the age of thirteen to follow a course lasting ...

, remaining there until 1920, when he was transferred to the

Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ci ...

. In 1922, he was appointed assistant head of history and English at Dartmouth. Shortly after his marriage, he was appointed Professor of History and English in 1934 at the

, a position he held until his retirement in 1955. While holding that position, he was Director of the

Sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

s General Education Course, 1946–1955 at Greenwich. Additionally, he was lecturer in English to the Royal Navy Staff College, 1943–1957, and in

Naval history Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Even in the interior of large lan ...

, 1945–1953. He was lecturer in naval history to the Royal Navy Senior Officers War Course, 1947–1953. Lewis was an active member of the

Navy Records Society The Navy Records Society was established in 1893 as a scholarly text publication society to publish historical documents relating to the history of the Royal Navy. Professor Sir John Knox Laughton and Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge were the key lea ...

, serving on its publication committee and council from 1938, as well as becoming vice president from 1939. Equally active in the

Society for Nautical Research The Society for Nautical Research is a British society that conducts research and sponsors projects related to maritime history worldwide. Founded in 1910, the Society initially encouraged research into seafaring, ship-building, the language and ...

, he was a member of council from 1935, vice president in 1946, chairman of council from 1951 to 1960 and president from 1960 to 1970. Additionally, he was a member of the

HMS Victory HMS ''Victory'' is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, ordered in 1758, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is best known for her role as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. She ...

Advisory Technical Committee from 1955. In 1952–1953, Lewis was the introducer on

British television Regular television broadcasts in the United Kingdom started in 1936 as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transmitted moving image in 1926. Currently, the United Kingdom has a collection ...

for the American series of 26, one-half-hour television programmes on navies in the Second World War, ''

Victory at Sea ''Victory at Sea'' is a documentary television series about warfare in general during World War II, and naval warfare in particular, as well as the use of industry in warfare. It was originally broadcast by NBC in the United States in 1952–19 ...

''.

Personal life

On 5 August 1933, Lewis married Muriel Doris Cruikshank, with whom he had a son, the historian of early railways Michael J. T. Lewis, and a daughter.

Published writings

Historical writings

* ''England's sea-officers: the story of the naval profession''. London Allen & Unwin, 1939, 1948. * ''British ships and British seamen''. London: British Council, 1940; Translated as ''Britiske skip og britiske sjømenn '', 1943; ''Britische schefen en Britische zeelieden'', door Michael Lewis ... Vertaald door A. J. Staal. Geïllustreerde uitgave. (Herzien, 1943, 1945; Reprinted as ''The ships and seamen of Britain''. London and New York: Pub. for the British Council by Longmans, Green, & Co., 1946. * ''The navy of Britain: a historical portrait''. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1948. * '' Nelson's letters from the

Leeward Islands french: Îles-Sous-le-Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Leeward Islands. Clockwise: Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Saint kitts and Nevis. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth Atlantic Ocean , coor ...

and other original documents in the Public Record Office and the British Museum'', edited by Geoffrey Rawson with annotation by Michael Lewis. London:

Golden Cockerel Press The Golden Cockerel Press was an English fine press operating between 1920 and 1961. History The private press made handmade limited editions of classic works. The type was hand-set and the books were printed on handmade paper, and sometimes ...

, 1953. Limited edition of 300 copies. * ''A narrative of my professional adventures (1790-1839)'', by Sir William Henry Dillon, edited by Michael Lewis. Two volumes. Greenwich: Navy Records Society, 1953–1956. * ''The history of the British navy''. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1957. * ''A Social History of the Navy, 1793-1815''. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1960. * ''The

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...

''. London: B. T. Batsford, 1960; Pan, 1966; Crowell, 1968. * ''Armada guns, a comparative study of English and Spanish armaments''. London, Allen & Unwin, 1961. * ''

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

and his British captives''. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1962. * ''The Navy in transition, 1814-1864; a social history''. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1965. * ''Ancestors; a personal exploration into the past''. London, Hodder & Stoughton

966 Year 966 (Roman numerals, CMLXVI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * 23 June - Arab-Byzantine Wars, Byzantine-Arab War: Arab-Byzantine ...

* ''The Hawkins dynasty: three generations of a Tudor family''. London, Allen & Unwin, 1969. * ''

Spithead Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds except those from the southeast. It receives its name from the Spit, a sandbank stretching south from the Hampshire ...

; an informal history''. London, Allen & Unwin, 1972.

Fiction

* ''Afloat & Ashore'' (verses). London: Allen & Unwin, 1921. * ''Beg o' the Upland'' (novel). Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1922. * ''The Brand of the Beast''. London: Allen & Unwin, 1924. * ''Fleeting follies''. (verse) London: Allen & Unwin, 1924. * ''The Island of disaster'' (novel). London: Allen & Unwin, 1926. * ''Roman Gold'' (novel). London: Allen & Unwin, 1927. * ''The Three Amateurs'' (novel). LOndon: Houghton, 1929. * ''The Crime of Herbert Wratislaus''. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1931.

Other works

In addition, Lewis contributed the biography of Sir

Geoffrey Callender Sir Geoffrey Arthur Romaine Callender (25 November 1875 – 6 November 1946) was an English naval historian and the first director of the National Maritime Museum from its opening in 1937 until his death in 1946. Life The son of a cotton ...

to the ''

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', and the article "Armed Forces and the Art of War, 1830-1870" in the ''

New Cambridge Modern History ''The New Cambridge Modern History'' replaced the original ''Cambridge Modern History'' in an entirely new project with all new editors and contributors. It was published by Cambridge University Press in fourteen volumes between the 1950s and the 1 ...

''. He also wrote for periodicals, including ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

'' (1918-1931), ''

Mariner's Mirror ''The Mariner's Mirror'' is the quarterly academic journal of the Society for Nautical Research in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1911 and is abstracted and indexed by Scopus. It is published in partnership with Taylor & Francis. The ''M ...

'', ''

Seafarer A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. The profession of the s ...

'', the U.S. Naval Institute ''

Proceedings In academia and librarianship, conference proceedings is a collection of academic papers published in the context of an academic conference or workshop. Conference proceedings typically contain the contributions made by researchers at the confere ...

'', ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'', The Listener, '' Overseas'', and the ''

New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...

''.

References

* ''Who was Who 1961-1970'' * ''Gale Contemporary Authors'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Michael 1890 births 1970 deaths People educated at Uppingham School Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Royal Marines officers Royal Marines personnel of World War I English naval historians Military personnel from Oxfordshire Academics of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich Instructors of the Royal Naval College, Osborne Fellows of the Royal Historical Society Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London 20th-century English historians British maritime historians