Jean Overton Fuller
Encyclopedia
Jean Overton Fuller was a British
author
best known for her book Madeleine, the story of Noor-un-nisa Inayat Khan, GC, MBE, CdG
, an India
n heroine of World War II
.
Jean Overton Fuller was born in England on 7 March 1915, the posthumous and only child of an Indian Army
officer. Brought up to think for herself by her mother, who was an artist, and a grandfather who was a retired Army doctor she early developed a wide field of interests. Following a short-lived career as a repertory actress she studied phonetics, linguistics and astronomy, and graduated with honours http://www.sirbacon.org/fullerinterview.htm from the University of London
.
Jean Overton Fuller was a personal friend of the Inayat Khan family. During World War II
, she was employed by the British Postal Censorship Office in London. At the end of hostilities, she travelled extensively throughout Europe, interviewing various people connected with Noor's tragic, yet inspiring life.
The resultant publication, Madeleine, published by Victor Gollancz
Ltd. in 1952, was re-published in 1988 by East-West Publications in Rotterdam. This updated version contains some chapters, which were eliminated from the original manuscript, such as an in-depth exploration of Tipu Sultan
, Noor's ancestor.
Following the book's publication, Fuller continued extensive researches into the history of the wartime SOE
French networks, interviewing many of the people involved - British and French, as well as Germans - in order to find who was responsible for betraying Noor and her fellow agents. Her results were published in the 1958 Double Webs (Putnam & Co).
Until the publication of Shrabani Basu's Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan (Sutton Publishing, 2006), Fuller's book was considered to be the definitive biography of Noor Inayat Khan.
Fuller also wrote several other biographies
, notably of Shelley
, Swinburne
and Sir Francis Bacon, and a book detailing her theory of Jack the Ripper
's true identity being Walter Richard Sickert, an English painter
.
Jean Overton Fuller's memoirs were published in 2007 by Michael Russell, Wilby, Norwich under the title Driven To It, An Autobiography.
She died in Kettering
on 8 April 2009 at the age of ninety-four.
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...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
best known for her book Madeleine, the story of Noor-un-nisa Inayat Khan, GC, MBE, CdG
Noor Inayat Khan
Assistant Section Officer Noor Inayat Khan / Nora Baker, GC, MBE , usually known as Noor Inayat Khan was of Indian Muslim origin...
, an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n heroine 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...
.
Jean Overton Fuller was born in England on 7 March 1915, the posthumous and only child of an Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
officer. Brought up to think for herself by her mother, who was an artist, and a grandfather who was a retired Army doctor she early developed a wide field of interests. Following a short-lived career as a repertory actress she studied phonetics, linguistics and astronomy, and graduated with honours http://www.sirbacon.org/fullerinterview.htm from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
.
Jean Overton Fuller was a personal friend of the Inayat Khan family. During 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...
, she was employed by the British Postal Censorship Office in London. At the end of hostilities, she travelled extensively throughout Europe, interviewing various people connected with Noor's tragic, yet inspiring life.
The resultant publication, Madeleine, published by Victor Gollancz
Victor Gollancz
Sir Victor Gollancz was a British publisher, socialist, and humanitarian.-Early life:Born in Maida Vale, London, he was the son of a wholesale jeweller and nephew of Rabbi Professor Sir Hermann Gollancz and Professor Sir Israel Gollancz; after being educated at St Paul's School, London and taking...
Ltd. in 1952, was re-published in 1988 by East-West Publications in Rotterdam. This updated version contains some chapters, which were eliminated from the original manuscript, such as an in-depth exploration of Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
, Noor's ancestor.
Following the book's publication, Fuller continued extensive researches into the history of the wartime SOE
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
French networks, interviewing many of the people involved - British and French, as well as Germans - in order to find who was responsible for betraying Noor and her fellow agents. Her results were published in the 1958 Double Webs (Putnam & Co).
Until the publication of Shrabani Basu's Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan (Sutton Publishing, 2006), Fuller's book was considered to be the definitive biography of Noor Inayat Khan.
Fuller also wrote several other biographies
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
, notably of Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically regarded as among the finest lyric poets in the English language. Shelley was famous for his association with John Keats and Lord Byron...
, Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He invented the roundel form, wrote several novels, and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica...
and Sir Francis Bacon, and a book detailing her theory of Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper
"Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
's true identity being Walter Richard Sickert, an English painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
Jean Overton Fuller's memoirs were published in 2007 by Michael Russell, Wilby, Norwich under the title Driven To It, An Autobiography.
She died in Kettering
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
on 8 April 2009 at the age of ninety-four.