Angus Macnab
Encyclopedia
John Angus Macnab was a British
fascist
politician who was a close associate of William Joyce
who later became noted as a Perennialist writer on Medieval Spain and translator of Latin and Greek poetry.
, of New Zealand
–Scots
parents. The son of a well-known Harley Street
eye doctor
, MacNab was educated at Rugby School
and the Christ Church, Oxford
. A convert to the Roman Catholic Church
, he was also noted as a mountaineer
. A gifted translator, when he graduated, he chose teaching as his profession.
with William Joyce and the two built up a life-long friendship that was to determine his political involvement. A witness at Joyce's second marriage, Macnab joined the British Union of Fascists
and served as an official in the BUF's Propaganda Department, editing the party journal, Fascist Quarterly, and contributing a weekly, bitterly antisemitic column, 'Jolly Judah', to its newspaper, The Blackshirt. A loyal lieutenant to Joyce he complained directly to Oswald Mosley
about Joyce's dismissal from the BUF in 1937 and was himself forcibly removed from the group as a result. Indeed, such was the bad feeling between Mosley and Joyce that the BUF leader threatened to physically attack Macnab for his complaints and ultimately had him ejected by his Blackshirts.
Following this incident Macnab joined Joyce and John Beckett
in forming the unashamedly pro-Nazi National Socialist League
. The group made little headway and he travelled with Joyce to Belgium
just before the war where they met with Nazi agent Chrisitian Bauer. Macnab joined Joyce and Bauer, a journalist with Der Angriff
, in travelling to Berlin
immediately afterwards. However whilst Joyce remained in Germany
Macnab returned to the UK immediately after the outbreak of war, claiming that he would not be involved in aiding Britain's enemies.
In the early stages of the Second World War he served as an ambulance driver, although before long his previous Nazi sympathies saw him detained under Defence Regulation 18B
. He was the first one to identify Joyce as 'Lord Haw Haw' (the radio broadcaster's identity initially being a mystery) when his old university colleague the Marquess of Donegall
, who was a journalist with the Daily Mail
at the time, had Macnab listen to some recordings after he suspected that Joyce, rather than the other leading suspect John Amery
, might be behind the broadcasts. Macnab remained loyal to Joyce after his capture and he joined Joyce's brother Quentin in a failed attempt to appeal the death sentence passed on 'Lord Haw-Haw'.
MacNab married Catherine Collins, a former BUF activist, in 1945 and after the war the couple settled in Toledo, Spain
. They had four children in Spain
and Macnab made a living by teaching and translating English
and as well as writing. For much of the remainder of his life he maintained correspondence with A. K. Chesterton
although he took no further role in active politics.
: Spain under the crescent Moon and Toledo, Sacred and Profane. He also authored Bulls of Iberia. In an article in the British journal 'New Blackfriars', William Stoddart
pays tribute to Macnab as a leading Catholic intellectual who was the author of a fascinating study of the Spanish Middle Ages. Of Bulls of Iberia the prominent English critic Kenneth Tynan
described it as 'awesomely good'. Macnab's also contributed to the British journal "Studies in Comparative Religion", in the 1960s.
In 1938, under the influence of G. K. Chesterton
and Hilaire Belloc
, Macnab had embraced scholastic philosophy and traditional Catholicism. At about the same time, he developed an interest in Spain, and in 1945, at the end of World War II
, he learnt Spanish and decided to make Spain his home. For many years he lived with his Irish wife Catherine and their three children (all born in Spain) in the charming Plaza de Santo Tomé (opposite the church of the same name) in Toledo
. He made his living as a translator.
In the mid-1950s, he read Marco Pallis
's book Peaks and Lamas. He immediately understood and accepted Pallis's traditionalist "message", and wrote to him to express his gratitude. In his reply, Pallis suggested to Macnab that he might find profit in the writings of René Guénon
and Frithjof Schuon
. Macnab at once ordered their books, profoundly assimilated their contents, and was totally and joyfully convinced by their expositions.
Macnab visited Schuon in Lausanne
in 1957, and remained in touch with him until his death, in Madrid
, in 1977.
While in Spain, Macnab received a number of distinguished visitors from Britain and America including novelists Evelyn Waugh
and James Michener, publisher Tom Burns, and his friend and intellectual benefactor, Marco Pallis.
The fruits of Macnab's studies in the history of Moorish Spain were his books Spain under the Crescent Moon and Toledo, Sacred and Profane (unpublished), as well as a number of articles published in the London journal "Studies of Comparative Religion", during the period 1965—1968.
Spain under the Crescent Moon is a book not only on Moorish Spain but also on its contemporary effects. The history of Moorish Spain shows that the question is not a new one and suggests that the solutions reached during the many centuries of Christian-Muslim co-existence were intelligent and civilised.
Macnab writes on art and history, chivalry and religion, Christian and Muslim kings, and Christian and Muslim holy men. He describes Arab accomplishments in poetry, music and fine manners, as well as in the more familiar domains of architecture and calligraphy — the Alhambra
at Granada
being (with the possible exception of the Taj Mahal
) the most renowned Islamic building in the world. The book also contains information on Islamic mysticism.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
politician who was a close associate of William Joyce
William Joyce
William Joyce , nicknamed Lord Haw-Haw, was an Irish-American fascist politician and Nazi propaganda broadcaster to the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He was hanged for treason by the British as a result of his wartime activities, even though he had renounced his British nationality...
who later became noted as a Perennialist writer on Medieval Spain and translator of Latin and Greek poetry.
Early life
Macnab was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
–Scots
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
parents. The son of a well-known Harley Street
Harley Street
Harley Street is a street in the City of Westminster in London, England which has been noted since the 19th century for its large number of private specialists in medicine and surgery.- Overview :...
eye doctor
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
, MacNab was educated at Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and the Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. A convert to the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, he was also noted as a mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
. A gifted translator, when he graduated, he chose teaching as his profession.
Political involvement
During the 1930s Macnab shared a flat in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with William Joyce and the two built up a life-long friendship that was to determine his political involvement. A witness at Joyce's second marriage, Macnab joined the British Union of Fascists
British Union of Fascists
The British Union was a political party in the United Kingdom formed in 1932 by Sir Oswald Mosley as the British Union of Fascists, in 1936 it changed its name to the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists and then in 1937 to simply the British Union...
and served as an official in the BUF's Propaganda Department, editing the party journal, Fascist Quarterly, and contributing a weekly, bitterly antisemitic column, 'Jolly Judah', to its newspaper, The Blackshirt. A loyal lieutenant to Joyce he complained directly to Oswald Mosley
Oswald Mosley
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, was an English politician, known principally as the founder of the British Union of Fascists...
about Joyce's dismissal from the BUF in 1937 and was himself forcibly removed from the group as a result. Indeed, such was the bad feeling between Mosley and Joyce that the BUF leader threatened to physically attack Macnab for his complaints and ultimately had him ejected by his Blackshirts.
Following this incident Macnab joined Joyce and John Beckett
John Beckett
John Warburton Beckett was a leading figure in British politics between the world wars, both in the Labour Party and Fascist movements....
in forming the unashamedly pro-Nazi National Socialist League
National Socialist League
The National Socialist League was a short lived Nazi political movement in the United Kingdom immediately before the Second World War.-Formation:...
. The group made little headway and he travelled with Joyce to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
just before the war where they met with Nazi agent Chrisitian Bauer. Macnab joined Joyce and Bauer, a journalist with Der Angriff
Der Angriff
Der Angriff was a German language newspaper founded in 1927 by the Berlin Gau of the Nazi Party.The newspaper was set up by Joseph Goebbels, who in 1926 had become the Nazi Party leader in Berlin, and the party provided most of the money needed to ensure publication...
, in travelling to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
immediately afterwards. However whilst Joyce remained in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Macnab returned to the UK immediately after the outbreak of war, claiming that he would not be involved in aiding Britain's enemies.
In the early stages of the Second World War he served as an ambulance driver, although before long his previous Nazi sympathies saw him detained under Defence Regulation 18B
Defence Regulation 18B
Defence Regulation 18B, often referred to as simply 18B, was the most famous of the Defence Regulations used by the British Government during World War II. The complete technical reference name for this rule was: Regulation 18B of the Defence Regulations 1939. It allowed for the internment of...
. He was the first one to identify Joyce as 'Lord Haw Haw' (the radio broadcaster's identity initially being a mystery) when his old university colleague the Marquess of Donegall
Edward Chichester, 6th Marquess of Donegall
Edward Arthur Donald St George Hamilton Chichester, 6th Marquess of Donegall succeeded to the title on the death of his father in 1904. His other titles included those of Viscount Chichester and Baron of Belfast, Earl of Donegall, Earl of Belfast, and Baron Fisherwick...
, who was a journalist with the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
at the time, had Macnab listen to some recordings after he suspected that Joyce, rather than the other leading suspect John Amery
John Amery
John Amery was a British fascist who proposed to the Wehrmacht the formation of a British volunteer force and made recruitment efforts and propaganda broadcasts for Nazi Germany...
, might be behind the broadcasts. Macnab remained loyal to Joyce after his capture and he joined Joyce's brother Quentin in a failed attempt to appeal the death sentence passed on 'Lord Haw-Haw'.
MacNab married Catherine Collins, a former BUF activist, in 1945 and after the war the couple settled in Toledo, Spain
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
. They had four children in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Macnab made a living by teaching and translating English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and as well as writing. For much of the remainder of his life he maintained correspondence with A. K. Chesterton
A. K. Chesterton
Arthur Kenneth Chesterton MC was a far right-wing politician and journalist who helped found right-wing organisations in Britain, primarily in opposition to the break-up of the British Empire, and later adopting a broader anti-immigration stance. His cousin, the author G. K...
although he took no further role in active politics.
Later writings
He is the author of two classics on Medieval SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
: Spain under the crescent Moon and Toledo, Sacred and Profane. He also authored Bulls of Iberia. In an article in the British journal 'New Blackfriars', William Stoddart
William Stoddart
William Stoddart is a Scottish physician, author and "spiritual traveller", who has written several books on the philosophy of religions. He has been called a “master of synthesis” and is one of the important writers on the Perennial Philosophy in the present day. For many years he was assistant...
pays tribute to Macnab as a leading Catholic intellectual who was the author of a fascinating study of the Spanish Middle Ages. Of Bulls of Iberia the prominent English critic Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Peacock Tynan was an influential and often controversial English theatre critic and writer.-Early life:...
described it as 'awesomely good'. Macnab's also contributed to the British journal "Studies in Comparative Religion", in the 1960s.
In 1938, under the influence of G. K. Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
and Hilaire Belloc
Hilaire Belloc
Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc was an Anglo-French writer and historian who became a naturalised British subject in 1902. He was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. He was known as a writer, orator, poet, satirist, man of letters and political activist...
, Macnab had embraced scholastic philosophy and traditional Catholicism. At about the same time, he developed an interest in Spain, and in 1945, at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he learnt Spanish and decided to make Spain his home. For many years he lived with his Irish wife Catherine and their three children (all born in Spain) in the charming Plaza de Santo Tomé (opposite the church of the same name) in Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
. He made his living as a translator.
In the mid-1950s, he read Marco Pallis
Marco Pallis
Marco Alexander Pallis was a Greek -British-born author and mountaineer with close affiliations to the Traditionalist School. He wrote works on the religion and culture of Tibet....
's book Peaks and Lamas. He immediately understood and accepted Pallis's traditionalist "message", and wrote to him to express his gratitude. In his reply, Pallis suggested to Macnab that he might find profit in the writings of René Guénon
René Guénon
René Guénon , also known as Shaykh `Abd al-Wahid Yahya was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the domain of metaphysics, having written on topics ranging from metaphysics, sacred science and traditional studies to symbolism and initiation.In his writings, he...
and Frithjof Schuon
Frithjof Schuon
Frithjof Schuon, was a native of Switzerland born to German parents in Basel, Switzerland. He is known as a philosopher, metaphysician and author of numerous books on religion and spirituality....
. Macnab at once ordered their books, profoundly assimilated their contents, and was totally and joyfully convinced by their expositions.
Macnab visited Schuon in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
in 1957, and remained in touch with him until his death, in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, in 1977.
While in Spain, Macnab received a number of distinguished visitors from Britain and America including novelists Evelyn Waugh
Evelyn Waugh
Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh , known as Evelyn Waugh, was an English writer of novels, travel books and biographies. He was also a prolific journalist and reviewer...
and James Michener, publisher Tom Burns, and his friend and intellectual benefactor, Marco Pallis.
The fruits of Macnab's studies in the history of Moorish Spain were his books Spain under the Crescent Moon and Toledo, Sacred and Profane (unpublished), as well as a number of articles published in the London journal "Studies of Comparative Religion", during the period 1965—1968.
Spain under the Crescent Moon is a book not only on Moorish Spain but also on its contemporary effects. The history of Moorish Spain shows that the question is not a new one and suggests that the solutions reached during the many centuries of Christian-Muslim co-existence were intelligent and civilised.
Macnab writes on art and history, chivalry and religion, Christian and Muslim kings, and Christian and Muslim holy men. He describes Arab accomplishments in poetry, music and fine manners, as well as in the more familiar domains of architecture and calligraphy — the Alhambra
Alhambra
The Alhambra , the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra , is a palace and fortress complex located in the Granada, Andalusia, Spain...
at Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
being (with the possible exception of the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
) the most renowned Islamic building in the world. The book also contains information on Islamic mysticism.
External links
See also
- Perennial PhilosophyPerennial philosophyPerennial philosophy is the notion of the universal recurrence of philosophical insight independent of epoch or culture, including universal truths on the nature of reality, humanity or consciousness .-History:The idea of a perennial philosophy has great...
- Perennialist school
- Traditional Catholicism
- Frithjof SchuonFrithjof SchuonFrithjof Schuon, was a native of Switzerland born to German parents in Basel, Switzerland. He is known as a philosopher, metaphysician and author of numerous books on religion and spirituality....
- René GuénonRené GuénonRené Guénon , also known as Shaykh `Abd al-Wahid Yahya was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the domain of metaphysics, having written on topics ranging from metaphysics, sacred science and traditional studies to symbolism and initiation.In his writings, he...
- Titus BurckhardtTitus BurckhardtTitus Burckhardt , a German Swiss, was born in Florence, Italy in 1908 and died in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1984. He devoted all his life to the study and exposition of the different aspects of Wisdom and Tradition.He was an eminent member of the "traditionalist school" of twentieth-century authors...
- Ananda CoomaraswamyAnanda CoomaraswamyAnanda Kentish Coomaraswamy was a Ceylonese philosopher and metaphysician, as well as a pioneering historian and philosopher of Indian art, particularly art history and symbolism, and an early interpreter of Indian culture to the West...
- William StoddartWilliam StoddartWilliam Stoddart is a Scottish physician, author and "spiritual traveller", who has written several books on the philosophy of religions. He has been called a “master of synthesis” and is one of the important writers on the Perennial Philosophy in the present day. For many years he was assistant...
- Martin LingsMartin LingsMartin Lings was an English Muslim writer and scholar, a student and follower of Frithjof Schuon, and Shakespearean scholar...
- Tage LindbomTage LindbomTage Leonard Lindbom, who later in his life took the name Sidi Zayd, , PhD in Political science, who was early in his life the party theoretician and director of the archives of the Swedish Social Democratic Party 1938-1965, but later in his life he converted to Islam...
- Rama Coomaraswamy
- Bernard Philip KellyBernard Philip Kelly-Works:Kelly's inspiration was scholastic philosophy and, in particular, the Summa Theologica of Thomas Aquinas. He was a regular contributor to Catholic periodicals, from the 1930s to the 1950s....
- Whitall PerryWhitall PerryWhitall Nicholson Perry was born of old New England stock in Belmont, Massachusetts , on January 19, 1920. A quest for wisdom led him, as a young man, to travel out to the Far East...