''Private Angelo'' was written by Scottish author

Eric Linklater Eric Robert Russell Linklater CBE (8 March 1899 – 7 November 1974) was a Welsh-born Scottish poet, fiction writer, military historian, and travel writer. For ''The Wind on the Moon'', a children's fantasy novel, he won the 1944 Carnegie Meda ...

and first published in 1946. It was made into a 1949 film of the same name by Pilgrim Pictures, produced by and starring

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

, as well as adapted for the stage by Mike Maran Productions. The novel covers the (mis)adventures of an Italian soldier during

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 ...

. The offspring of an English father and an Italian mother, the eponymous main character of the novel found himself unwillingly drafted into the Italian army, with Count Pontefiore, Commanding Officer of the 914th Regiment of Tuscan Infantry, as his colonel. Not only was the Count Angelo's patron, but he was also a former lover of Angelo's mother. The novel opened with the Italian armistice of 1943, and traced the fortunes of Angelo as he sought to survive and regain a measure of control over his life during the turmoils of the war. Though distinctly lacking in ''dono di coraggio'' (gift of courage), an annoying but life-saving characteristic, Angelo strove to maintain his cheerfulness and beautiful voice in chaotic circumstances beyond his control.

External links

Spectator, The: War but not quite Waugh
(Copyright Spectator December 18-December 25, 1999)

(a stage adaptation) *Nicol, Christopher (2012) ''Eric Linklater's Private Angelo and The Dark of Summer''. Glasgow: ASLS 1946 British novels British satirical novels Novels set during World War II Scottish novels Novels set in Italy Jonathan Cape books British novels adapted into films Novels by Eric Linklater {{1940s-satirical-novel-stub