Anthony Sampson
Encyclopedia
Anthony Terrell Seward Sampson (3 August 1926 – 18 December 2004) was a British
writer and journalist. He was educated at Westminster School
and Christ Church, Oxford
and served with the Royal Navy from 1944-47. During the 1950s he edited the magazine Drum in Johannesburg
, South Africa
. On returning to the United Kingdom
he joined the editorial staff of The Observer
, where he worked from 1955-66.
Sampson was the author of a series of major books, starting with Anatomy of Britain
(1962). His main themes were how Britain works as a state, and large corporation
s. He was also a founding member of the (now defunct) Social Democratic Party
(SDP).
Sampson took an interest in broad political and economic power structure, but saw power as personal. His books read like series of interlocked biographies — of arms merchants, oil company executives, etc., according to the theme of each. He was a biographer and personal friend of Nelson Mandela
.
Furthermore, the personal was the psychological. This passages from The Money Lenders is an example of his psychoanalytical
interpretations:
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...
writer and journalist. He was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and 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...
and served with the Royal Navy from 1944-47. During the 1950s he edited the magazine Drum in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. On returning to the United Kingdom
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...
he joined the editorial staff of The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, where he worked from 1955-66.
Sampson was the author of a series of major books, starting with Anatomy of Britain
Anatomy of Britain
Anatomy of Britain was a book written by Anthony Sampson and published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1962. The book is an examination of the ruling classes of the United Kingdom, looking at the holders of political, bureaucratic, and financial power. He completely rewrote the book over four decades,...
(1962). His main themes were how Britain works as a state, and large corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s. He was also a founding member of the (now defunct) Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
(SDP).
Works
- Common Sense About Africa (1960)
- Anatomy of Britain (1962)
- Anatomy of Britain today (1965)
- The New Anatomy of Britain (1971)
- Changing Anatomy of Britain (1982)
- The Essential Anatomy of Britain: Democracy in Crisis (1992)
- The New Europeans (1968)
- The Sovereign State of ITTThe Sovereign State of ITTThe Sovereign State is a book by Anthony Sampson that uses the example of ITT to make a broader point about the weakening of the authority of traditional national governments by the multinational corporations.-Plot:In part it was a portrait of Harold Geneen, the chief executive of ITT from 1959...
(1973) - The Seven SistersSeven Sisters (oil companies)The "Seven Sisters" was a term coined in the 1950s by businessman Enrico Mattei, then-head of the Italian state oil company Eni, to describe the seven oil companies which formed the "Consortium for Iran" and dominated the global petroleum industry from the mid-1940s to the 1970s...
(a study of the international oil industry) (1975) - The Arms Bazaar (a study of the international arms trade) (1977)
- The Money LendersThe Money LendersThe Money Lenders 1981 is a book by British journalist Anthony Sampson that looks at the history of banking from the Renaissance to a meeting of the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC in 1980, with an emphasis on the interaction of finance with international diplomacy.The book was largely...
(a study of international banking) (1981) - Black GoldBlack Gold (novel)Black Gold is the title of a book about South Africa by English journalist Anthony Sampson which, as the title indicates, weaves together the themes of apartheid and gold mining....
(about the crumbling of apartheid and the business/financial picture in South Africa) (1987) - Company Man (a study of corporate life) (1995)
- Mandela: The Authorised BiographyMandela: The Authorised BiographyMandela: The Authorised Biography is a study of Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa, by the late journalist Anthony Sampson....
(1999), winner of the Alan Paton AwardAlan Paton AwardThe Alan Paton Award is a South African literary award that been conferred annually since 1989 for meritorious works of non-fiction. Sponsored by the Johannesburg weekly the Sunday Times, recipients represent the cream of contemporary South African writers who produce works that are judged to... - Who Runs This Place?: The Anatomy of Britain in the 21st Century (2004)
- The Anatomist (2008, Politico's Publishing, 978-1842-75229-6) the autobiography of Anthony Sampson (which was prepared for publication by his wife and family)
Sampson took an interest in broad political and economic power structure, but saw power as personal. His books read like series of interlocked biographies — of arms merchants, oil company executives, etc., according to the theme of each. He was a biographer and personal friend of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
.
Furthermore, the personal was the psychological. This passages from The Money Lenders is an example of his psychoanalytical
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
interpretations:
"[Bankers] seem specially conscious of time, always aware that time is money. There is always a sense of restraint and tension. (Is it part of the connection which Freud observed between compulsive neatness, anal eroticism, and interest in money?)".
External links
- "Anthony Sampson" (obituary) John Thompson, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 21 December 2004. - Anthony Sampson's resume
- Catalogue of the papers of Anthony Sampson, c.1930-2011, held at the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford