Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie, (17 January 1883 – 30 November 1972) was a Scottish writer of fiction, biography, histories and a memoir, as well as a cultural commentator, raconteur and lifelong

Scottish nationalist Scottish nationalism promotes the idea that the Scottish people form a cohesive nation and national identity. Scottish nationalism began to shape from 1853 with the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights, progressing into t ...

. He was one of the co-founders in 1928 of the

National Party of Scotland The National Party of Scotland (NPS) was a centre-left political party in Scotland which was one of the predecessors of the current Scottish National Party (SNP). The NPS was the first Scottish nationalist political party, and the first which c ...

along with

Hugh MacDiarmid Christopher Murray Grieve (11 August 1892 – 9 September 1978), best known by his pen name Hugh MacDiarmid (), was a Scottish poet, journalist, essayist and political figure. He is considered one of the principal forces behind the Scottish Rena ...

, R. B. Cunninghame Graham and

John MacCormick John MacDonald MacCormick (20 November 1904 – 13 October 1961) was a Scottish lawyer, Scottish nationalist politician and advocate of Home Rule in Scotland. Early life MacCormick was born in Pollokshields, Glasgow, in 1904. His father was Dona ...

. He was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in 1952.

Background

Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie was born in

West Hartlepool West Hartlepool was a predecessor of Hartlepool, County Durham, England. It developed in the Victorian era and took the name from its western position in the parish of what is now known as the Headland. The former town was originally formed in ...

County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...

, England, into a theatrical family of Mackenzies, many of whose members used Compton as their stage surname, starting with his English grandfather Henry Compton, a well-known

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

actor of the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

. His father, Edward Compton Mackenzie, and mother,

Virginia Frances Bateman Virginia Frances Bateman (Mrs Edward Compton and Virginia Mackenzie; 1 January 1853 – 4 May 1940) was an American actress and actor-manager who performed with her husband Edward Compton in his Compton Comedy Company which toured the prov ...

, were actors and theatre company managers; his sister,

Fay Compton Virginia Lilian Emmeline Compton-Mackenzie, (; 18 September 1894 – 12 December 1978), known professionally as Fay Compton, was an English actress. She appeared in several films, and made many broadcasts, but was best known for her stage per ...

, (whose son was

Anthony Pelissier Harry Anthony Compton Pelissier (27 July 1912 – 2 April 1988) was an English actor, screenwriter, producer and director. Biography Pelissier was born in Barnet and came from a theatrical family. His parents were the theatre producer H. G. Pe ...

, Compton's nephew), starred in many of

J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succ ...

's plays, including ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...

''. He was educated at St Paul's School, London, and

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...

, from where he graduated with a degree in Modern History.

Writing

Mackenzie is perhaps best known for two comic novels set in Scotland: '' Whisky Galore'' (1947) set in the

Hebrides The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebrid ...

, and '' The Monarch of the Glen'' (1941) set in the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Sco ...

. They were the sources of a successful

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

and a

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

respectively. He published almost a hundred books on different subjects, including ten volumes of autobiography: ''My Life and Times'' (1963–71). He wrote history (on the

Battle of Marathon The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. The battle was the culmination of ...

and the

Battle of Salamis The Battle of Salamis ( ) was a naval battle fought between an alliance of Greek city-states under Themistocles and the Persian Empire under King Xerxes in 480 BC. It resulted in a decisive victory for the outnumbered Greeks. The battle was ...

), biography (''Mr Roosevelt'', a 1943 biography of FDR), literary criticism, satires,

apologia An apologia (Latin for apology, from Greek ἀπολογία, "speaking in defense") is a formal defense of an opinion, position or action. The term's current use, often in the context of religion, theology and philosophy, derives from Justin Mar ...

(''Sublime Tobacco'' 1957), children's stories, poetry and so on. Of his fiction, ''

The Four Winds of Love ''The Four Winds of Love'' is the overall title for a series of six novels written by Compton Mackenzie, ''The East Wind of Love'' (1937), '' The South Wind of Love'' (1938), ''The West Wind of Love'' (1940), ''West to North'' (1942), ''The Nort ...

'' is sometimes considered his ''

magnum opus A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

''. He was admired by

F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...

, whose first book, ''

This Side of Paradise ''This Side of Paradise'' is the debut novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1920. It examines the lives and morality of carefree American youth at the dawn of the Jazz Age. Its protagonist, Amory Blaine, is an attractive ...

'', was written under the literary influence of Compton. '' Sinister Street'', his lengthy 1913–14 ''

Bildungsroman In literary criticism, a ''Bildungsroman'' (, plural ''Bildungsromane'', ) is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from childhood to adulthood ( coming of age), in which character change is impo ...

'', influenced

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...

and

Cyril Connolly Cyril Vernon Connolly CBE (10 September 1903 – 26 November 1974) was an English literary critic and writer. He was the editor of the influential literary magazine ''Horizon'' (1940–49) and wrote '' Enemies of Promise'' (1938), which combin ...

, who both read it as schoolboys.

Max Beerbohm Sir Henry Maximilian Beerbohm (24 August 1872 – 20 May 1956) was an English essayist, parodist and caricaturist under the signature Max. He first became known in the 1890s as a dandy and a humorist. He was the drama critic for the '' Saturday ...

praised Mackenzie's writing for vividness and emotional reality.

Frank Swinnerton Frank Arthur Swinnerton (12 August 1884 – 6 November 1982) was an English novelist, critic, biographer and essayist. He was the author of more than 50 books, and as a publisher's editor helped other writers including Aldous Huxley and Lytton S ...

, a literary critic, comments on Mackenzie's "detail and wealth of reference".

John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, ...

said of it, "This has always seemed to me one of the best novels of the best period in English novel writing."

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

thought it to be the most remarkable book written by a young author in his lifetime. After his conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1914, Mackenzie explored religious themes in a trilogy of novels, ''The Altar Steps'' (1922), ''The Parson's Progress'' (1923) and ''The Heavenly Ladder'' (1924). In 1922

Robin Legge Robin Humphrey Legge (28 June 1862 - 6 April 1933) was an English music writer, the chief music critic of ''The Daily Telegraph'' between 1906 and 1931.chief music critic of ''The Daily Telegraph'', encouraged Mackenzie to write some of the earliest gramophone record reviews. In 1923 he and his brother-in-law Christopher Stone founded ''

Gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

'', the still-influential

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

magazine. Mackenzie continued to edit the magazine until 1961. He was also the literary critic for the London-based national newspaper ''

Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...

''. Following his time on

Capri Capri ( , ; ; ) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. The main town of Capri that is located on the island shares the name. It has been ...

, socialising with the gay exiles there, he treated the homosexuality of a politician sensitively in '' Thin Ice'' (1956). '' The Lunatic Republic'' (1959) is a political satire. For the version of English spoken by the inhabitants of Lunamania on the far side of the moon, Mackenzie invented over 150 new words.

''Greek Memories''

Mackenzie worked as an actor, political activist and broadcaster. He served with

British Intelligence The Government of the United Kingdom maintains intelligence agencies within three government departments, the Foreign Office, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence. These agencies are responsible for collecting and analysing foreign and do ...

in the

Eastern Mediterranean Eastern Mediterranean is a loose definition of the eastern approximate half, or third, of the Mediterranean Sea, often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It typically embraces all of that sea's coastal zones, referring to communi ...

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 ...

, later publishing four books on his experiences. According to these books, he was commissioned 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 ...

, rising to the rank of captain. His ill-health making front-line service impractical, he was assigned counter-espionage work during the Gallipoli campaign, and in 1916 built up a considerable counter-intelligence network in Athens, Greece then being neutral. He is alleged to have taken part in an attempt to assassinate the King by poison in August 1916, during which the royal palace was to be surrounded by fire to prevent him escaping. While his secret service work seems to have been valued highly by his superiors, including Sir

Mansfield Smith-Cumming Captain Sir Mansfield George Smith-Cumming (1 April 1859 – 14 June 1923) was a British naval officer who served as the first chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). Origins He was a great-great grandson of the prominent merchant Joh ...

, his passionate political views, especially his support for the Venizelists, made him a controversial figure and he was expelled from

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

following the

Noemvriana The ''Noemvriana'' ( el, Νοεμβριανά, "November Events") of , or the Greek Vespers, was a political dispute which led to an armed confrontation in Athens between the royalist government of Greece and the forces of the Allies over th ...

. In 1917, he founded the Aegean Intelligence Service, and enjoyed considerable autonomy for some months as its director. He was offered the Presidency of the Republic of

Cerigo Kythira (, ; el, Κύθηρα, , also transliterated as Cythera, Kythera and Kithira) is an island in Greece lying opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is traditionally listed as one of the seven main Ionian Islands, ...

, which was briefly independent while Greece was split between Royalists and Venizelists, but declined the office. He was recalled in September 1917. Smith-Cumming considered appointing him as his deputy, but withdrew the suggestion after opposition from within his own service, and Mackenzie played no further active role in the war. In 1919, he was appointed an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE), and was also honoured with the French

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

, the

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

n Order of the White Eagle, and the Greek

Order of the Redeemer The Order of the Redeemer ( el, Τάγμα του Σωτήρος, translit=Tágma tou Sotíros), also known as the Order of the Saviour, is an order of merit of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the ...

. After the publication of his ''Greek Memories'' in 1932, he was prosecuted the following year at the Old Bailey under the

Official Secrets Act An Official Secrets Act (OSA) is legislation that provides for the protection of state secrets and official information, mainly related to national security but in unrevised form (based on the UK Official Secrets Act 1911) can include all infor ...

for quoting from supposedly secret documents. His account of the trial, vividly described, is in Octave Seven (1931–38) of his autobiography: the result was a fine of £100 and (prosecution) costs of £100. His own costs were over £1,000. Mackenzie states that a plea-bargain (described in the text as "an arrangement") had been reached with the judge prior to the trial: in exchange for his pleading guilty, he would be fined £500 with £500 costs. However

Sir Thomas Inskip Thomas Walker Hobart Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote, (5 March 1876 – 11 October 1947) was a British politician who served in many legal posts, culminating in serving as Lord Chancellor from 1939 until 1940. Despite legal posts dominating his ...

, then attorney general who prosecuted the case, succeeded in annoying the trial judge to such an extent that he then reduced the penalties to a token amount. Even so, the costs of his defence and the withdrawal from sale of ''Greek Memories'' left Mackenzie out of pocket and an attempt was made to ask the authorities exactly which passages in the book they objected to so it could be re-issued with the offending material removed. This approach was rebuffed. In Octave Eight, covering the years 1939–45, Mackenzie recounts that the matter was raised in Parliament and a new version of ''Greek Memories'' was eventually published in 1939. However, in spite of the withdrawal of the 1st edition a copy had already been deposited at the British MuseumThe official stamp in the book is dated 22 November 1932 (which then contained what is now the independent British Library) but was not given a general catalogue reference making it effectively impossible to access. In 1994 ''The Guardian'' newspaper published an article about this anomaly ''The muzzling of Compton Mackenzie – 62 years on''.The Guardian 8 January 1994, page 6. Available on microfiche at the British Library and via ProQuest Following this the 1932 edition was entered in the British Library's public catalogue.Shelfmark Cup.410.f.383 In 2011 Biteback published the original 1932 edition of ''Greek Memories'', including the

Secret Intelligence Service The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...

memo detailing the offending passages of the book. He was president of the

Croquet Association The Croquet Association, which was formed as the United All England Croquet Association in 1897, is the national governing body for the sport of croquet in England. Until 1974 the association was responsible for croquet in the whole of the Unit ...

from 1953–66. He was president of the Siamese Cat Club. He was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1956 when he was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

at the King's Theatre,

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. ...

, London. A strong supporter of

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...

, Mackenzie was a leading member of the Octavians, a minor society that campaigned in support of Edward VIII and for his return to the UK after he became the Duke of Windsor. According to a 1938 ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' article Mackenzie had intended to write a book in support of Edward but abandoned the plan when the Duke asked him not to publish.

Capri

Between 1913 and 1920 he lived with his wife,

Faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people often ...

, on

at Villa Solitaria, and returned to visit in later years. This Italian island near

Sorrento Sorrento (, ; nap, Surriento ; la, Surrentum) is a town overlooking the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula at the south-eastern terminus of the Circumvesuviana rail ...

was known to be tolerant not just of foreigners in general, but of artists and homosexuals in particular. He became friends with the writer

Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

, a frequent visitor to the island. Faith had an affair with the Italian pianist Renata Borgatti, who was connected to

Romaine Brooks Romaine Brooks (born Beatrice Romaine Goddard; May 1, 1874 – December 7, 1970) was an American painter who worked mostly in Paris and Capri. She specialized in portrait painting, portraiture and used a subdued tonal Palette (painting), palette ...

. Compton Mackenzie's observations on the local life of the Italian islanders and foreign residents led to at least two novels, ''

Vestal Fire ''Vestal Fire'' is a 1927 comedy novel by the British writer Compton Mackenzie.Linklater p.210-12 It was inspired by the time Mackenzie had spent living in Capri before the First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), o ...

'' (1927) and '' Extraordinary Women'' (1928). The latter, a

roman à clef ''Roman à clef'' (, anglicised as ), French for ''novel with a key'', is a novel about real-life events that is overlaid with a façade of fiction. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship ...

about a group of lesbians arriving on the island of Sirene, a fictional version of Capri, was published in Britain in the same year as two other ground-breaking novels with lesbian themes,

Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Woolf was born i ...

's love letter to

Vita Sackville-West Victoria Mary, Lady Nicolson, CH (née Sackville-West; 9 March 1892 – 2 June 1962), usually known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author and garden designer. Sackville-West was a successful novelist, poet and journalist, as wel ...

, ''

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...

'', and

Radclyffe Hall Marguerite Antonia Radclyffe Hall (12 August 1880 – 7 October 1943) was an English poet and author, best known for the novel ''The Well of Loneliness'', a groundbreaking work in lesbian literature. In adulthood, Hall often went by the name Jo ...

's controversial polemic, ''

The Well of Loneliness ''The Well of Loneliness'' is a lesbian novel by British author Radclyffe Hall that was first published in 1928 by Jonathan Cape. It follows the life of Stephen Gordon, an Englishwoman from an upper-class family whose " sexual inversion" (homo ...

'', but Mackenzie's satire did not attract legal attention. He was a friend of

Axel Munthe Axel Martin Fredrik Munthe (31 October 1857 – 11 February 1949) was a Swedish-born medical doctor and psychiatrist, best known as the author of ''The Story of San Michele'', an autobiographical account of his life and work. He spoke several la ...

, who built

Villa San Michele The Villa San Michele was built about the end of the 19th century on the isle of Capri, Italy, by the Swedish physician and author Axel Munthe. Description The villa's gardens have panoramic views of the town of Capri and its harbour, the Sor ...

, and Edwin Cerio, who later became mayor of Capri.

Scottish identity

GraveOfComptonMacKenzieEolaigearraidhBarra(PaddyHeron)Jun2001

Mackenzie went to great lengths to trace the steps of his ancestors back to his spiritual home in the Highlands, and displayed a deep and tenacious attachment to

Gaelic culture The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languag ...

throughout his long and very colourful life. As his biographer,

Andro Linklater Andro Ian Robert Linklater (10 December 1944 – 3 November 2013) was a Scottish non-fiction writer and historian. Life He was the youngest son of Eric Linklater, a poet, and Marjorie MacIntyre, an arts campaigner. His brother is journalist, Ma ...

, commented, "Mackenzie wasn't born a Scot, and he didn't sound like a Scot. But nevertheless his imagination was truly Scottish." He was an ardent Jacobite, the third Governor-General of the

Royal Stuart Society The Royal Stuart Society, founded in 1926, is the senior royalist-monarchist organisation and the foremost Jacobite body in the United Kingdom. Its full name is The Royal Stuart Society and Royalist League although it is best known simply as the ...

, and a co-founder of the

. He became a member of the Scottish Arts Club in 1929. He was rector of

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

from 1931 to 1934, defeating

Oswald Mosley Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet (16 November 1896 – 3 December 1980) was a British politician during the 1920s and 1930s who rose to fame when, having become disillusioned with mainstream politics, he turned to fascism. He was a member ...

, who later led the

British Union of Fascists The British Union of Fascists (BUF) was a British fascist political party formed in 1932 by Oswald Mosley. Mosley changed its name to the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists in 1936 and, in 1937, to the British Union. In 1939, fo ...

, in his bid for the job. From 1920–23, Mackenzie was the Tenant of Herm and

Jethou Jethou ( ) is a small island that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It is privately leased from the Crown, and not open to the public. Resembling the top of a wooded knoll it is immediately south of Herm and covers a ...

. He built a house on

Barra Barra (; gd, Barraigh or ; sco, Barra) is an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and the second southernmost inhabited island there, after the adjacent island of Vatersay to which it is connected by a short causeway. The island is na ...

, in the Western Isles (Outer Hebrides) of Scotland, in the 1930s. On Barra, he gained inspiration and found creative solitude, and befriended a great number of people that he described as "the aristocrats of democracy". He was a founding member of the short-lived secret organisation

Clann Albain A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meanin ...

Private life

Mackenzie was married three times. On 30 November 1905 (aged 22), he married Faith Stone in

St Saviour's, Pimlico St Saviour's is an Anglo-Catholic church in Pimlico, City of Westminster, London, England, located at the north end of St George's Square. It was constructed in the 1860s as part of Thomas Cubitt's development of the area on behalf of the Marqu ...

: they remained married for more than 50 years, until her death. In 1962 (aged 79), he married Christina MacSween, who died the following year. Lastly, he married his deceased wife's sister, Lilian MacSween in 1965 (aged 82). Mackenzie was a keen supporter of West Bromwich Albion F.C. Although from the north east of England, he "was influenced in the choice of Albion as 'my' team by the fact that their ground was romantically called The Hawthorns and that they were nicknamed the Throstles". He was also a keen fan of

snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sports, cue sport played on a Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, rectangular table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets, one at each corner and o ...

, and gave an account of the origin of the game's name in ''The Billiard Player'' magazine of 1939, describing how young lieutenant

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician of the Conservative Party who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. He is best known for his foreign policy of appeasemen ...

(not the former British Prime Minister) was experimenting on the officers' mess table with the existing game of 'Black Pool' featuring 15 red balls and a black. He presented the World Championship trophy to

Joe Davis Joseph Davis (15 April 190110 July 1978) was an English professional snooker and English billiards player. He was the dominant figure in snooker from the 1920s to the 1950s, and has been credited with inventing aspects of the way the game i ...

at the 1939 Championships. After his retirement, Mackenzie sold the entire copyright in 20 of his books for a lump sum of £10,000 arguing that this was a capital receipt and not the proceeds of the business. The Court of Appeal held that this was assessable income as part of the proceeds of his business: Mackenzie v Arnold (1952) 33 TC 363. Mackenzie died on 30 November 1972, aged 89, in Edinburgh and was interred in St Barr's churchyard cemetery at Eoligarry on the Isle of Barra.

Select bibliography

A list based on Kenneth Young's ''Compton Mackenzie'', 1968:

Novels and romances

* ''The Passionate Elopement'' (1911), a revision of the play ''The Gentleman in Grey'' * ''

Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

'' (1912), an early best-seller, filmed as ''

The Ballet Girl ''The Ballet Girl'' (german: Das Mädel vom Ballet) is a 1918 German silent film, silent comedy film directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Ossi Oswalda, Harry Liedtke and Margarete Kupfer.Thomson p. 145 It was shot at the Tempelhof Studios in ...

'' (1916), ''

Dance Pretty Lady ''Dance Pretty Lady'' is a 1931 British drama film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Ann Casson, Carl Harbord, Michael Hogan, Moore Marriott and Flora Robson. It was based on the 1912 novel '' Carnival'' by Compton Mackenzie. The novel ...

'' (1932) and ''

'' (1946) * '' Sinister Street'' (1914), 2 volumes, a

* '' Guy and Pauline'' (1915), a sequel to ''Sinister Street'', also published as Plashers Mead. * '' The Early Life and Adventures of Sylvia Scarlett'' (1918), a sequel to ''Sinister Street'', filmed in 1935 as '' Sylvia Scarlett'' * '' Sylvia and Michael'' (1919), a sequel to ''Sylvia Scarlett'' * ''

Poor Relations ''Poor Relations'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by King Vidor. Produced by the Brentwood Corporation, the film starred Vidor’s wife Florence Vidor and featured comedienne Zasu Pitts. The picture is the final of four Christi ...

'' (1919) * '' The Vanity Girl'' (1920) * ''

Rich Relatives ''Rich Relatives'' is a 1921 comedy novel by the British writer Compton Mackenzie Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie, (17 January 1883 – 30 November 1972) was a Scottish writer of fiction, biography, histories and a memoir, as well as ...

'' (1921) * ''The Altar Steps'' (1922) * ''The Seven Ages of Woman'' (1923) * ''The Parson's Progress'' (1923), a sequel to ''The Altar Steps'' * ''The Heavenly Ladder'' (1924), a sequel to ''The Parson's Progress'' * ''The Old Men of the Sea'' (1924) * ''

Coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and sec ...

'' (1925), a sequel to ''Carnival'' * ''

Fairy Gold ''Fairy Gold'' is a 1926 novel by the British writer Compton Mackenzie.Linklater p.219 A Cornish knight living on an island, who has lost his son during the First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated ...

'' (1926) * '' Rogues and Vagabonds'' (1927) * ''

'' (1927) * ''

Extremes Meet ''Extremes Meet'' is a 1928 comedy thriller novel by the British writer Compton Mackenzie. It set in Southeastern Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans ...

'' (1928) * '' Extraordinary Women'' (1928) * ''

The Three Couriers ''The Three Couriers'' is a 1929 comedy thriller novel by the British writer Compton Mackenzie. It was inspired by his own experiences working for British intelligence during the First World War. It is set in Southeastern Europe, and features the ...

'' (1929) * ''

April Fools April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which may ...

'' (1930), a sequel to ''Poor Relations'' * '' Buttercups and Daisies'' (1931) * ''

Our Street ''Our Street'' is a 1931 historical novel by the British writer Compton Mackenzie Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie, (17 January 1883 – 30 November 1972) was a Scottish writer of fiction, biography, histories and a memoir, as well as ...

'' (1931) * '' Water on the Brain'' (1933), an absurdist spy novel parody * '' The Darkening Green'' (1934) * '' Figure of Eight'' (1936) * ''

'' (6 volumes 1937–45) * '' The Red Tapeworm'' (1941) * '' The Monarch of the Glen'' (1941) * ''

Keep the Home Guard Turning ''Keep the Home Guard Turning'' is a 1943 comedy novel by the British writer Compton Mackenzie.Linklater p.295 It portrays the activities of the Home Guard on a remote Scottish island during the Second World War World War II or th ...

'' (1943) * '' Whisky Galore'' (1947), filmed in 1948 as '' Whisky Galore!'' * '' Hunting the Fairies'' (1949) * '' The Rival Monster'' (1952) * '' Ben Nevis Goes East'' (1954) * '' Thin Ice'' (1956) * ''

Rockets Galore ''Rockets Galore!'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Michael Relph and starring Jeannie Carson, Donald Sinden and Roland Culver. The sequel to ''Whisky Galore! (1949 film), Whisky Galore!'', it was much less successful than its predecess ...

'' (1957), a sequel, filmed in 1958 as ''

Rockets Galore! ''Rockets Galore!'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Michael Relph and starring Jeannie Carson, Donald Sinden and Roland Culver. The sequel to '' Whisky Galore!'', it was much less successful than its predecessor. It was based on the n ...

'' * '' The Lunatic Republic'' (1959) * ''

Mezzotint Mezzotint is a monochrome printmaking process of the '' intaglio'' family. It was the first printing process that yielded half-tones without using line- or dot-based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple. Mezzotint achieves tonali ...

'' (1961) * '' The Stolen Soprano'' (1965) * '' Paper Lives'' (1966), a sequel to ''The Red Tapeworm''

Plays

* ''The Gentleman in Grey'' (1907) * ''Columbine'' (1920) * ''The Lost Cause'' (1931)

Verse

* ''Poems'' (1907) * ''Kensington Rhymes'' (1912)

History and biography

* ''Gallipoli Memories'' (1929) * ''First Athenian Memories'' (1931) * ''Greek Memories'' (1932), a continuation of ''First Athenian Memories'' * ''Prince Charlie'' (1932), biography * ''Marathon and Salamis'' (1934), history * ''Prince Charlie and His Ladies'' (1934), history * ''Catholicism and Scotland'' (1934), history * ''The Book of Barra'' (1936), (with J.L. Campbell) * ''Pericles'' (1937), history * ''The Windsor Tapestry'' Being a study of the life, heritage and abdication of HRH The Duke of Windsor (1938) * ''Aegean Memories'' (1940) * ''Calvary'' (with F.C. Mackenzie) (1942) * ''Wind of Freedom: The history of the invasion of Greece by the

Axis powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...

, 1940–1941'' (1943) * ''Mr Roosevelt'' (1943), biography * ''Brockhouse'' (1944), history * ''Dr Benes'' (1946), biography * ''The Vital Flame'' (1946) (on the gas industry) * ''All over the Place'' (1949), diary * ''Eastern Epic'', an account of the part played by the Indian Army in the Second World War, Vol. I (1951) * ''I Took a Journey ... A tour of the National Trust Properties'' (1951) * ''The House of Coalport 1750–1950'' (1951), history * ''The Queen's House. A history of Buckingham Palace'' (1953), history * ''Realms of Silver. One Hundred Years of Banking in the East'' (1954), a history of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China. * ''The Savoy of London'' (1953), history * ''My Record of Music'' (1955), musical autobiography * ''Sublime Tobacco'' (1957) * ''Cats' Company'' (1960) with photos by

Harrison Marks George Harrison Marks (6 August 1926 – 27 June 1997) was an English glamour photographer and director of nudist, and later, pornographic films. Personal life Born in Tottenham, Middlesex in 1926, Marks was 17 when he married his first wife ...

* ''Greece in My Life'' (1960), essays * ''Catmint'' (1961), imaginary conversations * ''Look at Cats'' (1964) * ''Little Cat Lost'' (1965)

Essays and criticism

* ''Gramophone Nights'' (1923), (with Archibald Marshall) * ''Unconsidered Trifles'' (1932), collected essays. * ''Literature in My Time'' (1933), criticism * ''Reaped and Bound'' (1933), collected essays * ''A Musical Chair'' (1939), essays * ''Echoes'' (1954), broadcast talks * ''On Moral Courage'' (1962)

Children's stories

* ''Santa Claus in Summer'' (1924) * ''Told'' (1930), tales and verses * ''The Stairs That Kept Going Down'' (1967) * ''The Strongest Man on Earth'' (1967), mythology for young people

Autobiography

* ''My Life and Times'' in ten volumes each covering eight years, published as "Octave One" to "Octave Ten"(1963–1971)

Biographies of Compton Mackenzie

* Linklater, Andro ''Compton Mackenzie: A Life'' The Hogarth Press (1992, London) * Mackenzie, Lady Faith Compton ''More than I should'', Collins (1940)

Filmography

References

External links

* * * * * *
Glossary of words invented for The Lunatic Republic
* Compton Mackenzie Papers. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mackenzie, Compton 1883 births 1972 deaths People educated at Colet Court People educated at St Paul's School, London Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Scottish autobiographers British comedy writers People from West Hartlepool British publishers (people) 20th-century Scottish male actors Scottish National Party politicians Scottish novelists Scottish spies Anglo-Scots Tenants of Herm Officers of the Order of the British Empire Knights Bachelor Rectors of the University of Glasgow Converts to Roman Catholicism Scottish Renaissance Scottish croquet players 20th-century Scottish novelists Scottish male novelists 20th-century British male writers 20th-century British businesspeople Military personnel from County Durham Royal Marines personnel of World War I Royal Marines officers