Leslie Barringer
Encyclopedia
Leslie Barringer was an English
editor
and author
of historical novel
s and historical fantasy
novels, best known for the latter.
, born in Yorkshire, England. He served in an ambulance unit during World War I
, was wounded in action in France and returned to the UK in 1917. After the war he worked at various times as a civil servant (Senior Information Officer with the Central Office of Information
) and as an editor for English publishers Thomas Nelson & Sons
, for the BBC
as an editor on the Radio Times
, and in Amalgamated Press as an editor in their encyclopedia department. At Amalgamated Press he provided outlines of world history for their famous Children's Encyclopedia. Barringer and his wife had four daughters.
s set in medieval England
.
; these novels were set around the fourteenth century in an alternate medieval
France
called Neustria
(historically an early division of the Frankish kingdom
). According to John Clute
, "The basic premise, vaguely presented, is that the Merovingian Dynasty does not split apart cAD750; instead, Neustria survives, and at the time of the three tales (c1400) is still thriving." He notes further that "The sequence's alternative-world displacement serves not as an opening for magic but as a freeing of LB's imagination; the Neustria Cycle is far more intense and eloquent than his more-straightforward historical novels." The three books revolve around the character of Raoul of Ger, the protagonist of the first book and a secondary character in the later two, Joris of the Rock
and Shy Leopardess
. Each is a coming of age story.
and Lin Carter
, leading to revived interest in them. As a result, a number of reprints appeared in the 1970s and 1980s, most notably as volumes 7, 9 and 13 of the Newcastle Forgotten Fantasy Library
in 1976-77. To date there has been no comparable revival of Barringer's other works.
All of Barringer's books are now out of print, although the volumes of the Neustrian Cycle are available as e-book
s. Copies of all of his works are held in the British Library
in London.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
and 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:...
of historical novel
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
s and historical fantasy
Historical fantasy
Historical fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy and related to historical fiction, which makes use of specific elements of real world history. It is used as an umbrella term for the sword and sorcery genre and sometimes, if fantasy is involved, the sword-and-sandal genre too...
novels, best known for the latter.
Life
Barringer was a QuakerReligious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, born in Yorkshire, England. He served in an ambulance unit during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, was wounded in action in France and returned to the UK in 1917. After the war he worked at various times as a civil servant (Senior Information Officer with the Central Office of Information
Central Office of Information
The Central Office of Information is the UK government's marketing and communications agency. Its Chief Executive, currently Mark Lund, reports to the Minister for the Cabinet Office...
) and as an editor for English publishers Thomas Nelson & Sons
Thomas Nelson (publisher)
Thomas Nelson is a publishing firm that began in Scotland in 1798 as the namesake of its founder. Its former US division is currently the sixth largest American trade publisher and the world's largest Christian publisher. It is owned by the private equity firm Kohlberg & Company...
, for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as an editor on the Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
, and in Amalgamated Press as an editor in their encyclopedia department. At Amalgamated Press he provided outlines of world history for their famous Children's Encyclopedia. Barringer and his wife had four daughters.
Works
Most of Barringer's written works were originally published in the 1920s and 1930s, and included the three volumes of the Neustrian Cycle and three independent historical novelHistorical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
s set in medieval England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The Neustrian Cycle
Barringer's main body of work, the Neustrian Cycle, is a trilogy beginning with GerfalconGerfalcon (novel)
Gerfalcon is a fantasy novel by Leslie Barringer, the first book in his three volume Neustrian Cycle. It is set around the fourteenth century in an alternate medieval France called Neustria . The book was first published in 1927 by Heinemann in the United Kingdom and Doubleday in the United States...
; these novels were set around the fourteenth century in an alternate medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
called Neustria
Neustria
The territory of Neustria or Neustrasia, meaning "new [western] land", originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating most of the north of present-day France, with Paris and Soissons as its main cities...
(historically an early division of the Frankish kingdom
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
). According to John Clute
John Clute
John Frederick Clute is a Canadian born author and critic who has lived in Britain since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part of science fiction's history."...
, "The basic premise, vaguely presented, is that the Merovingian Dynasty does not split apart cAD750; instead, Neustria survives, and at the time of the three tales (c1400) is still thriving." He notes further that "The sequence's alternative-world displacement serves not as an opening for magic but as a freeing of LB's imagination; the Neustria Cycle is far more intense and eloquent than his more-straightforward historical novels." The three books revolve around the character of Raoul of Ger, the protagonist of the first book and a secondary character in the later two, Joris of the Rock
Joris of the Rock
Joris of the Rock is a fantasy novel by Leslie Barringer, the second book in his three volume Neustrian Cycle. It is set around the fourteenth century in an alternate medieval France called Neustria . The book was first published in the United Kingdom by Heinemann in 1928; an American edition...
and Shy Leopardess
Shy Leopardess
Shy Leopardess is a fantasy novel by Leslie Barringer, the third and last book in his three volume Neustrian Cycle. It is set around the fourteenth century in an alternate medieval France called Neustria . The book was first published in the United Kingdom by Methuen in 1948...
. Each is a coming of age story.
Posthumous revival
Barringer was obscure as an author during his own lifetime; after his death, however, his fantasies were rediscovered and critically praised by later fantasy authors such as L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
and Lin Carter
Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft and Grail Undwin.-Life:Carter was born in St. Petersburg, Florida...
, leading to revived interest in them. As a result, a number of reprints appeared in the 1970s and 1980s, most notably as volumes 7, 9 and 13 of the Newcastle Forgotten Fantasy Library
Newcastle Forgotten Fantasy Library
The Newcastle Forgotten Fantasy Library was a series of trade paperback books published by the Newcastle Publishing Company between 1973 and 1980...
in 1976-77. To date there has been no comparable revival of Barringer's other works.
All of Barringer's books are now out of print, although the volumes of the Neustrian Cycle are available as e-book
E-book
An electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
s. Copies of all of his works are held in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
in London.
Neustrian cycle
- GerfalconGerfalcon (novel)Gerfalcon is a fantasy novel by Leslie Barringer, the first book in his three volume Neustrian Cycle. It is set around the fourteenth century in an alternate medieval France called Neustria . The book was first published in 1927 by Heinemann in the United Kingdom and Doubleday in the United States...
(Heinemann 1927, 310 p) - Joris of the RockJoris of the RockJoris of the Rock is a fantasy novel by Leslie Barringer, the second book in his three volume Neustrian Cycle. It is set around the fourteenth century in an alternate medieval France called Neustria . The book was first published in the United Kingdom by Heinemann in 1928; an American edition...
(Heinemann 1928, 325 p) - Shy LeopardessShy LeopardessShy Leopardess is a fantasy novel by Leslie Barringer, the third and last book in his three volume Neustrian Cycle. It is set around the fourteenth century in an alternate medieval France called Neustria . The book was first published in the United Kingdom by Methuen in 1948...
(Methuen 1948, 392 p)
Historical novels
- Kay the Left-HandedKay the Left-HandedKay the Left-Handed is a historical novel by Leslie Barringer set in twelth century England. It was first published in the United Kingdom by Heinemann in 1935; an American edition from Doubleday followed later the same year.-Plot:...
(Heinemann 1935, 284 p) - Know Ye Not Agincourt?Know Ye Not Agincourt?Know Ye Not Agincourt? by Leslie Barringer is a historical novel set in fifteenth century England and France. It concerns the adventures of an English squire and his friends, their taking part in the Battle of Agincourt and its bitter consequences for all of them. It ends with a brief and unknowing...
(Nelson 1936, 207 p) - The Rose in Splendour: a Story of the Wars of Lancaster and YorkThe Rose in Splendour: a Story of the Wars of Lancaster and YorkThe Rose in Splendour: a Story of the Wars of Lancaster and York is an historical novel by Leslie Barringer. It was first published by Phoenix House in 1953.-Plot:The novel is set in England over a period of eighteen months in the years 1460-61...
(Phoenix House 1953, 160 p)