Philip Toynbee
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Theodore Philip Toynbee (25 June 1916 – 15 June 1981) was a British writer and
communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
. He wrote experimental novels, and distinctive
verse novel A verse novel is a type of narrative poetry in which a novel-length narrative is told through the medium of poetry rather than prose. Either simple or complex stanzaic verse-forms may be used, but there will usually be a large cast, multiple voice ...
s, one of which was an epic called ''Pantaloon'', a work in several volumes, only some of which are published. He also wrote memoirs of the 1930s, and reviews and literary criticism, the latter mainly via his employment with ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' newspaper.


Life

He was born in
Oxford 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 the ...
; his father was the historian
Arnold J. Toynbee Arnold Joseph Toynbee (; 14 April 1889 – 22 October 1975) was an English historian, a philosopher of history, an author of numerous books and a research professor of international history at the London School of Economics and King's Colleg ...
, and his mother was
Rosalind Murray Rosalind Murray (1890–1967, aged 76-77) was a British-born writer and novelist known for ''The Happy Tree'' and ''The Leading Note''. Murray's parents were the classical scholar Gilbert Murray (1866-1957) and Lady Mary Henrietta Howard (1865â ...
. He was educated at
Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. Up ...
, where he became rebellious, reacting against the public school system. Inspired by the example of
Esmond Romilly } Esmond Marcus David Romilly (10 June 1918 – 30 November 1941) was a British socialist, anti-fascist, and journalist, who was in turn a schoolboy rebel, a veteran with the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War and, following ...
, later a friend, he ran away, returned shortly and was expelled. He later wrote a memoir of Romilly, and Jasper Ridley (1913–1944), entitled ''Friends Apart''. Through Romilly, Toynbee met Jessica Mitford, who became a close friend after Esmond died in WWII. He was also influenced by bookshop owner and would-be encourager of the young radical element, David Archer, whom he met through
David Gascoyne David Gascoyne (10 October 1916 – 25 November 2001) was an English poet associated with the Surrealist movement, in particular the British Surrealist Group. Additionally he translated work by French surrealist poets. Early life and surrealis ...
. At
Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...
in the late 1930s he became the first communist president of the
Oxford Union The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest ...
, at the height of communism's apparent success and social acceptability. He visited
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
at the end of 1936, at the start of the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
, in a student delegation. He was said to have been beaten up by Mosley's Blackshirts at a fascist meeting. In 1938–39 he edited the ''Birmingham Town Crier''. He married twice: in 1939, to Anne Powell and in 1950, Sally Smith. In the early 1940s Philip and Anne lived a
bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...
life in London's
Fitzrovia Fitzrovia () is a district of central London, England, near the West End. The eastern part of area is in the London Borough of Camden, and the western in the City of Westminster. It has its roots in the Manor of Tottenham Court, and was urban ...
, and Philip was drinking heavily. At that time they knew
Lucian Freud Lucian Michael Freud (; 8 December 1922 â€“ 20 July 2011) was a British painter and draughtsman, specialising in figurative art, and is known as one of the foremost 20th-century English portraitists. He was born in Berlin, the son of Jewis ...
, Donald Maclean and
Robert Kee Robert Kee (5 October 1919 â€“ 11 January 2013) was a British broadcaster, journalist and writer, known for his historical works on World War II and Ireland. Life and career He was educated at Stowe School, Buckingham, and read history ...
, Henrietta Moraes and others from David Tennant's
Gargoyle Club The Gargoyle was a private members' club on the upper floors of 69 Dean Street, Soho, London, at the corner with Meard Street. It was founded on 16 January 1925 by the aristocratic socialite David Tennant, son of the Scottish 1st Baron Glenco ...
in
Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...
. Toynbee was later to be found, with
Benedict Nicolson Lionel Benedict Nicolson (6 August 1914 – 22 May 1978) was a British art historian and author. Nicolson was the elder son of authors Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West and the brother of writer and politician Nigel Nicolson, Nigel. ...
, in the Wednesday Club consisting of raffish male writers, artists and journalists. In 1945 they moved to the
Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...
, for a fresh start. They had two children, the second being Mary Louisa, better known as the journalist
Polly Toynbee Mary Louisa "Polly" Toynbee (; born 27 December 1946) is a British journalist and writer. She has been a columnist for ''The Guardian'' newspaper since 1998. She is a social democrat and was a candidate for the Social Democratic Party in the 19 ...
. Anne later married
Richard Wollheim Richard Arthur Wollheim (5 May 1923 − 4 November 2003) was a British philosopher noted for original work on mind and emotions, especially as related to the visual arts, specifically, painting. Wollheim served as the president of the British So ...
shortly after divorcing Philip in 1950. As a foreign correspondent with ''The Observer'', Philip then traveled to Tel Aviv, where he met Sally, who was a secretary for the American Embassy there. During the 1950s he continued to work for ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'', and was one of the more prominent
intellectual An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator or a ...
figures in British life (perhaps to be compared with
Edmund Wilson Edmund Wilson Jr. (May 8, 1895 – June 12, 1972) was an American writer and literary critic who explored Freudian and Marxist themes. He influenced many American authors, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose unfinished work he edited for publi ...
in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, for example). In an article written for ''The Observer'' in 1961, he notoriously proclaimed the irrelevancy of J.R.R. Tolkien's ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'', just prior to its paperback publication in America and subsequent cultural phenomenon:
"There was a time when the Hobbit fantasies of Professor Tolkien were being taken very seriously indeed by a great many distinguished literary figures. Mr. Auden is even reported to have claimed that these books were as good as ''
War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...
'';
Edwin Muir Edwin Muir CBE (15 May 1887 â€“ 3 January 1959) was a Scottish poet, novelist and translator. Born on a farm in Deerness, a parish of Orkney, Scotland, he is remembered for his deeply felt and vivid poetry written in plain language and wit ...
and many others were almost equally enthusiastic. I had a sense that one side or the other must be mad, for it seemed to me that these books were dull, ill-written, whimsical and childish. And for me this had a reassuring outcome, for most of his more ardent supporters were soon beginning to sell out their shares in Professor Tolkien, and today those books have passed into a merciful oblivion." Fuller, Edmund. ''The Lord of the Hobbits: J.R.R. Tolkien'', originally printed in ''Books With Men Behind Them'' (Fuller, Random House, 1962), and reprinted in ''Tolkien and the Critics: Essays on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings'' (ed. Neil D. Isaacs and
Rose A. Zimbardo Rose Abdelnour Zimbardo (born Rose E. Abdelnour; May 29, 1932 – October 25, 2015) was an American professor of English literature. Her work covered such subjects as Shakespeare, Restoration drama, and the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. She was a pi ...
, Notre Dame Press, 1968).
In the early to mid-1970s, Toynbee underwent a personal crisis, slowly entering into a period of deep depression. He had become increasingly concerned about ecological matters and this, along with his own ideological temperament, led him to the controversial decision to set up a self-sufficient farming community. His family and friends thought this decision to be close to insane, considering as they did his privacy and routine-loving nature. The community quickly became a commune when Toynbee, Sally and their youngest daughter moved out, into a large cottage nearby. Nonetheless Toynbee and Sally continued to have a great deal of contact with the communards, and along with both spouses' active alcoholism, it frequently caused considerable tension in their marriage. Toynbee's depression was sometimes immobilising and prevented him from enjoying his day-to-day life and work, and the regularity of his book reviews was sometimes interrupted as he struggled with the depression and the treatment he insisted on receiving for it – against the advice of his GP and consultant – namely, ECT (
Electroconvulsive therapy Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a psychiatry, psychiatric treatment where a generalized seizure (without muscular convulsions) is electrically induced to manage refractory mental disorders.Rudorfer, MV, Henry, ME, Sackeim, HA (2003)"Electroco ...
). He finally got the go-ahead for the treatment, which he received in Bristol in the summer of 1977. The two books which followed the ECT consisted of the journal writings which Toynbee decided to edit and send off for publication. These largely revolved around his search for some kind of spiritual meaning. It could be said that this arose out of his wish to find some purpose for the deep misery of his worst depression. He was strongly urged to stop drinking alcohol and occasionally managed short periods of abstinence. Yet he never really wanted long-term abstinence enough to make any real success of this. He was as a whole capable of great self-discipline, but needed to want his objectives with intense singular-mindedness in order to achieve them. The two journal books were entitled ''Part of a Journey'' (covering 1977 to 1979) and ''End of a Journey'' (1979 to 1981). They were generally well received. For many readers, his best writing style shone throughout those pages, with its ready humility and gentle self-mockery. He died at his home in
St Briavels St Briavels (pronounced ''Brevels'', once known as 'Ledenia Parva' (Little Lydney)), is a medium-sized village and civil parish in the Royal Forest of Dean in west Gloucestershire, England; close to the England-Wales border, and south of Colefo ...
,
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...
, with most of his family (he had five children altogether) at his bedside.


Toynbee genealogy

The Toynbees have been prominent in British intellectual society for several generations ''(note that this diagram is not a comprehensive Toynbee family tree)'':


Works

*''The Savage Days'' (1937) *''A School in Private'' (1941) *''The Barricades'' (1943) *''Tea with Mrs. Goodman'' (1947) (U.S. edition title: ''Prothalamium: A Cycle of the Holy Graal'') *''The Garden to the Sea'' (1953) *''Friends Apart: A Memoir of
Esmond Romilly } Esmond Marcus David Romilly (10 June 1918 – 30 November 1941) was a British socialist, anti-fascist, and journalist, who was in turn a schoolboy rebel, a veteran with the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War and, following ...
& Jasper Ridley in the Thirties'' (1954) re-published in (1980) *''The Fearful Choice: a debate on nuclear policy'' (1958) *''Pantaloon or the Valediction'' (1961) verse novel *''Underdogs: Anguish and Anxiety, Eighteen Men and Women Write Their Own Case-Histories'' (1962) editor *''Comparing Notes: A Dialogue Across a Generation'' (1963) with
Arnold J. Toynbee Arnold Joseph Toynbee (; 14 April 1889 – 22 October 1975) was an English historian, a philosopher of history, an author of numerous books and a research professor of international history at the London School of Economics and King's Colleg ...
*''Thanatos, a Modern Symposium at which Nine Characters Argue at Quarles'' (1963) with
Maurice Richardson Maurice Richardson (1907–1978) was an English journalist and short story writer. Life and career Richardson was born to a wealthy family."Odd Man Out", Mary Manning,''Irish Times'', 4 August 1978 (p.11) Review of ''Fits and Starts''. As a ch ...
*''Two Brothers: the fifth day of the Valediction of Pantaloon'' (1964) Pantaloon verse novel *''A Learned City: the sixth day of the valediction of pantaloon'' (1966) Pantaloon verse novel *''Views from a Lake: the seventh day of the Valediction of Pantaloon'' (1968) Pantaloon verse novel *''Age of the Spirit: Religion as Experience'' (1973) *''Distant Drum: Reflections on the Spanish Civil War'' (1976) editor *''Part of a Journey: An Autobiographical Journal, 1977-79'' (1981) *''End of a Journey An Autobiographical Journal 1979-81'' (1982) *''Towards the Holy Spirit: A Tract for the Times'' (1982)


Notes


References

*''Faces of Philip; a memoir of Philip Toynbee'' (1984) Jessica Mitford {{DEFAULTSORT:Toynbee, Philip 1916 births 1981 deaths British communists Deaths from cancer in England Converts to Anglicanism from atheism or agnosticism English Anglicans English non-fiction writers People from Oxford The Guardian journalists 20th-century English poets English male poets People from St Briavels Presidents of the Oxford Union Toynbee family