John Foley (author)
Encyclopedia
Major John Foley MBE (7 March 1917 – 8 November 1974) was a British soldier and author.
He was educated at St Mary's College, Crosby and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. A regular soldier between 1936 and 1954, he was made MBE
for his services to the Royal Armoured Corps
during the Second World War.
His love of tanks was reflected in The Boilerplate War, a book of recollections of the early days of armoured warfare, and Mailed Fist, telling of his tank exploits in Normandy in 1944. He drew on his military experience in several other successful novels, including Death of a Regiment and Bull and Brass.
He spent five years as a Military Reporter and later served in the Directorate of Public Relations at the War Office
.
On retiring from the Army, he continued in public relations, and became prominent as a consultant, being particularly concerned with the problems of American-owned businesses in Britain. He was also a director of Campbell-Johnson Ltd.
A man of wide interests, he was also known as a broadcaster and scriptwriter.
He was also military advisor to the popular ITV
comedy show, The Army Game
.
He is also the author of two screenplay
novelizations, which some sources (including IMDB) erroneously list as original novels upon which the films were based. (In fact, each book cover proclaims its publication to be "the book of the film." In both, Foley is listed as copyright holder rather than the releasing studios, but this is due to a peculiarity of British copyright law, which allows the author of a tie-in novel to own his prose.)
He was educated at St Mary's College, Crosby and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. A regular soldier between 1936 and 1954, he was made MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
for his services to the Royal Armoured Corps
Royal Armoured Corps
The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
during the Second World War.
His love of tanks was reflected in The Boilerplate War, a book of recollections of the early days of armoured warfare, and Mailed Fist, telling of his tank exploits in Normandy in 1944. He drew on his military experience in several other successful novels, including Death of a Regiment and Bull and Brass.
He spent five years as a Military Reporter and later served in the Directorate of Public Relations at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
.
On retiring from the Army, he continued in public relations, and became prominent as a consultant, being particularly concerned with the problems of American-owned businesses in Britain. He was also a director of Campbell-Johnson Ltd.
A man of wide interests, he was also known as a broadcaster and scriptwriter.
He was also military advisor to the popular ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
comedy show, The Army Game
The Army Game
The Army Game is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1957 to 1961. Made in black-and-white, it is about National Service conscription to the post-war British Army. It was created by Sid Colin...
.
He is also the author of two screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
novelizations, which some sources (including IMDB) erroneously list as original novels upon which the films were based. (In fact, each book cover proclaims its publication to be "the book of the film." In both, Foley is listed as copyright holder rather than the releasing studios, but this is due to a peculiarity of British copyright law, which allows the author of a tie-in novel to own his prose.)
- Very Important PersonVery Important Person (film)Very Important Person is a 1961 British comedy film, directed by Ken Annakin, and written by Henry Blyth and Jack Davies. In the United States, the film was re-titled A Coming Out Party....
(1961), (film starring James Robertson JusticeJames Robertson JusticeJames Robertson Justice was a popular British character actor in British films of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.-Biography:...
and Leslie PhillipsLeslie PhillipsLeslie Samuel Phillips, CBE is an English actor with a highly recognisable upper class accent. Originally known for his work as a comedy actor, Phillips subsequently made the transition to character roles.-Early life:...
) based on the screenplay by Jack DaviesJack DaviesJack Davies may refer to:*Jack Davies , English cricketer, rugby union player and psychologist*Jack Davies , English screenwriter, producer, editor and actor...
and Henry Blyth (May Fair Books) - Man in the Moon (1960) (film starring Kenneth MoreKenneth MoreKenneth Gilbert More CBE was a highly successful English film actor during the post-World War II era and starred in many feature films, often in the role of an archetypal carefree and happy-go-lucky middle-class gentleman.-Early life:Kenneth More was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the...
and Shirley Anne FieldShirley Anne FieldShirley Anne Field is a British actress who has performed on stage, film and television since 1955.-Early Life:...
), based on the screenplay by Bryan ForbesBryan ForbesBryan Forbes, CBE is an English film director, actor and writer.-Career:Bryan Forbes was born John Theobald Clarke on 22 July 1926 in Queen Mary's Hospital, Stratford, West Ham, Essex , and grew up at 43 Cranmer Road, Forest Gate, West Ham, Essex .Forbes trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of...
and Michael RelphMichael RelphMichael Relph was a British art director and producer. He was the son of actor George Relph....
(Four Square Books)