Anthony Cave Brown
Encyclopedia
Anthony Cave Brown was an English-American journalist, espionage non-fiction writer and historian.
as a boy, stuffing propaganda leaflets into bombs meant for Nazi Germany
towards the end of World War II
. He was educated at Luton Grammar School
, and joined the Royal Air Force
for his national service
, working as a photographer.
and Bristol
before moving to Fleet Street
in the mid-1950s where he joined the Daily Mail
. During the late 1950s he covered the Hungarian uprising
(in 1956) and the Algerian War of Independence
. In 1958 he was awarded 'Reporter of the Year'. Brown secured the first Western interview with Egypt
ian president, Gamel Abdel Nasser, and was a frequent drinking companion of Kim Philby
in the Middle East
prior to the latter's 1963 defect
ion to the Soviet Union
. He also interviewed the dissident
Soviet writer Boris Pasternak
, who at the time was under surveillance, in 1959. He subsequently smuggled two of Pasternak's poems back to the UK, one of which was immediately published in the Daily Mail.
Brown earned a reputation as an adventurous cutting-edge reporter, but developed something of an extravagant lifestyle, and often left behind large unpaid bills on his foreign trips, according to colleagues. He rode on the first nuclear-powered submarine
, and travelled to the South Pole
with Sir Vivian Fuchs
.
He returned to Britain in 1960 as chief reporter for the Daily Mail, working to uncover corruption in Scotland Yard
, and a major espionage case at the Portland
naval base.
In 1962, he abandoned his wife Caroline Gilliat (daughter of the British filmmaker Sidney Gilliat
) and their two small children, Amanda Eliasch
and Toby. The marriage ended in divorce. The daughter, now Amanda Eliasch
, ex-wife of Johan Eliasch
, is a photographer and has recently published a book on poetry and photography entitled Cloak and Dagger Butterfly, and "British Artists at Work", with
Italian Vogue's Franca Sozzani
. The son, Toby, is a chairman of a leading hockey club in Wiltshire
.
Brown then moved to the United States
in 1962, spending a year at Stanford University
's Hoover Institute as a visiting fellow. He covered the Vietnam War
in the 1960s, and worked in Australia
for a television station belonging to Rupert Murdoch
. He also worked in Singapore
and Malaysia.
in 1969, and later moved to northern Virginia
. He began a 37-year relationship with Joan Simpson Halphen, a woman whom he had met in Paris
, and utilised her considerable wealth to begin a second career as a major book author and historian, specialising in espionage, World War II and Cold War
themes.
Anthony Cave Brown's first major work to attract widespread attention was Bodyguard of Lies
(1975), which examined the strategical elements of World War II, including codebreaking and its effect on the war's outcome. He followed up on this theme with a book, The Last Hero: Wild Bill Donovan, about William J. Donovan, the director of the American Office of Strategic Services
during World War II; the Office of Strategic Services
later evolved into the Central Intelligence Agency
. Another espionage-related effort was a 1987 biography of Sir Stewart Menzies
, who served as head of British MI6 (Secret Intelligence Service
) during World War II. The book was titled C: The Secret Life of Sir Stewart Graham Menzies, Spymaster to Winston Churchill. His book Treason in the Blood: H. St. John Philby, Kim Philby, and the Spy Case of the Century, published in 1994, examined the interconnected lives of the famous British spies Kim Philby
and Harry St. John Philby, son and father. His final 1999 book Oil, God and Gold: The Story of Aramco and the Saudi Kings, examined the Aramco company in Saudi Arabia
.
He died of dementia
and pneumonia
-related causes in 2006 at age 77. Joan Simpson Halphen predeceased him by four months. His two children survive him.
Early years
Anthony Cave Brown was born in Bath, and moved to 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...
as a boy, stuffing propaganda leaflets into bombs meant for Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
towards 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 was educated at Luton Grammar School
Luton Sixth Form College
Luton Sixth Form College is a sixth form college situated in Luton, Bedfordshire, England.-Admissions:It is noted for its multiethnic population; 62% of the College's students are from minority ethnic groups.-History:...
, and joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
for his national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
, working as a photographer.
Journalist
Brown began his reporting career in LutonLuton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
and Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
before moving to Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
in the mid-1950s where he joined 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...
. During the late 1950s he covered the Hungarian uprising
Hungarian Revolution
Hungarian Revolution may refer to:* The Hungarian Revolution of 1848.* The Hungarian Revolution of 1919, which led to the formation of the Hungarian Soviet Republic headed by Béla Kun.* The Hungarian Revolution of 1956....
(in 1956) and the Algerian War of Independence
Algerian War of Independence
The Algerian War was a conflict between France and Algerian independence movements from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria's gaining its independence from France...
. In 1958 he was awarded 'Reporter of the Year'. Brown secured the first Western interview with Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian president, Gamel Abdel Nasser, and was a frequent drinking companion of Kim Philby
Kim Philby
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby was a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a spy for and later defected to the Soviet Union...
in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
prior to the latter's 1963 defect
Defect
- Geometry and physical sciences :* Defect , a characteristic of a polyhedron* Topological defect* Isoperimetric defect* Crystallographic defect, a structural imperfection in a crystal- Pop music :* The Defects, Northern-Irish punk rock band...
ion to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He also interviewed the dissident
Soviet dissidents
Soviet dissidents were citizens of the Soviet Union who disagreed with the policies and actions of their government and actively protested against these actions through either violent or non-violent means...
Soviet writer Boris Pasternak
Boris Pasternak
Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was a Russian language poet, novelist, and literary translator. In his native Russia, Pasternak's anthology My Sister Life, is one of the most influential collections ever published in the Russian language...
, who at the time was under surveillance, in 1959. He subsequently smuggled two of Pasternak's poems back to the UK, one of which was immediately published in the Daily Mail.
Brown earned a reputation as an adventurous cutting-edge reporter, but developed something of an extravagant lifestyle, and often left behind large unpaid bills on his foreign trips, according to colleagues. He rode on the first nuclear-powered submarine
Nuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
, and travelled to the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
with Sir Vivian Fuchs
Vivian Fuchs
Sir Vivian Ernest Fuchs FRS was an English explorer whose expeditionary team completed the first overland crossing of Antarctica in 1958.- Biography :...
.
He returned to Britain in 1960 as chief reporter for the Daily Mail, working to uncover corruption in Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
, and a major espionage case at the Portland
Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Grid reference: .-History:...
naval base.
In 1962, he abandoned his wife Caroline Gilliat (daughter of the British filmmaker Sidney Gilliat
Sidney Gilliat
Sidney Gilliat was an English film director, producer and writer.He was born in the district of Edgeley in Stockport, Cheshire. In the 1930s he worked as a scriptwriter, most notably with Frank Launder on The Lady Vanishes for Alfred Hitchcock, and its sequel Night Train to Munich , directed by...
) and their two small children, Amanda Eliasch
Amanda Eliasch
Amanda J. Eliasch is the poet, Fashion Editor for Genlux Magazine in Los Angeles, as well as British photographer and writer for The Collective Review...
and Toby. The marriage ended in divorce. The daughter, now Amanda Eliasch
Amanda Eliasch
Amanda J. Eliasch is the poet, Fashion Editor for Genlux Magazine in Los Angeles, as well as British photographer and writer for The Collective Review...
, ex-wife of Johan Eliasch
Johan Eliasch
Johan Eliasch, born in Sweden in 1962, is the Chairman and CEO of Head N.V., the global sporting goods group, and is the former Special Representative of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom....
, is a photographer and has recently published a book on poetry and photography entitled Cloak and Dagger Butterfly, and "British Artists at Work", with
Italian Vogue's Franca Sozzani
Franca Sozzani
Franca Sozzani is an Italian journalist and the editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia since 1988.Franca has been at the forefront of Fashion since the beginning of her career. Sozzani started her career at Vogue Bambini and directed legendary publications LEI since 1980 and PER LUI since 1982 before...
. The son, Toby, is a chairman of a leading hockey club in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
Brown then moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1962, spending a year at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
's Hoover Institute as a visiting fellow. He covered the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in the 1960s, and worked in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for a television station belonging to Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
. He also worked in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malaysia.
Author and historian
He settled in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1969, and later moved to northern Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He began a 37-year relationship with Joan Simpson Halphen, a woman whom he had met in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and utilised her considerable wealth to begin a second career as a major book author and historian, specialising in espionage, World War II and Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
themes.
Anthony Cave Brown's first major work to attract widespread attention was Bodyguard of Lies
Bodyguard of Lies
Bodyguard of Lies is a 1975 non-fiction book written by Anthony Cave Brown. His first major work, the book is a narrative account of Operation Bodyguard and the Allied intelligence operations of 1944, leading up to the invasion of Normandy...
(1975), which examined the strategical elements of World War II, including codebreaking and its effect on the war's outcome. He followed up on this theme with a book, The Last Hero: Wild Bill Donovan, about William J. Donovan, the director of the American Office of Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
during World War II; the Office of Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
later evolved into the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
. Another espionage-related effort was a 1987 biography of Sir Stewart Menzies
Stewart Menzies
Major General Sir Stewart Graham Menzies, KCB, KCMG, DSO, MC was Chief of MI6 , British Secret Intelligence Service, during and after World War II.-Early life, family:...
, who served as head of British MI6 (Secret Intelligence Service
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
) during World War II. The book was titled C: The Secret Life of Sir Stewart Graham Menzies, Spymaster to Winston Churchill. His book Treason in the Blood: H. St. John Philby, Kim Philby, and the Spy Case of the Century, published in 1994, examined the interconnected lives of the famous British spies Kim Philby
Kim Philby
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby was a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a spy for and later defected to the Soviet Union...
and Harry St. John Philby, son and father. His final 1999 book Oil, God and Gold: The Story of Aramco and the Saudi Kings, examined the Aramco company in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
He died of dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
and pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
-related causes in 2006 at age 77. Joan Simpson Halphen predeceased him by four months. His two children survive him.
Major works
- Bodyguard of LiesBodyguard of LiesBodyguard of Lies is a 1975 non-fiction book written by Anthony Cave Brown. His first major work, the book is a narrative account of Operation Bodyguard and the Allied intelligence operations of 1944, leading up to the invasion of Normandy...
, by Anthony Cave Brown, New York, Harper and Row, 1975, ISBN 1585746924.
- On a Field of Red: the Communist International and the Coming of World War II by Anthony Cave Brown, 1981, ISBN 0399125426.
- The Last Hero: Wild Bill Donovan, by Anthony Cave Brown, New York, Times Books, 1982, ISBN 0686959752.
- Secret War Report of the OSS, by Anthony Cave Brown, ISBN 0425032531.
- The Secret History of the Atomic Bomb, by Anthony Cave Brown and Charles B. MacDonaldCharles B. MacDonaldThis article refers to Charles B. MacDonald, military historian. For the U.S. golfer, refer to Charles B. Macdonald.Charles B. MacDonald was a former Deputy Chief Historian for the United States Army...
, ISBN 0440577284.
- Operation World War III: Secret American Plan (Dropshot) for War with the Soviet Union in 1957, by Anthony Cave Brown.
- C: The Secret Life of Sir Stewart Graham Menzies, Spymaster to Winston Churchill, by Anthony Cave Brown, New York, MacMillan Publishing, 1987, ISBN 0025173901.
- Treason in the Blood: H. St. John Philby, Kim Philby, and the Spy Case of the Century, by Anthony Cave Brown, Boston, Houghton MifflinHoughton MifflinHoughton Mifflin Harcourt is an educational and trade publisher in the United States. Headquartered in Boston's Back Bay, it publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults.-History:The company was...
, 1994, ISBN 039563119X.
- Oil, God and Gold: The Story of Aramco and the Saudi Kings, by Anthony Cave Brown, 1999, ISBN 0395592208.