Robert Kee
Encyclopedia
Robert Kee CBE
(born 5 October 1919 in Calcutta, India
) is a British broadcaster, journalist and writer, known for his historical works on World War II
and Ireland
.
He was educated at Stowe School
, Buckingham, and read history at Magdalen College, Oxford
, where he was a pupil, then a friend of the historian A.J.P. Taylor.
During World War II
he served in the Royal Air Force
as a bomber pilot. His plane was shot down over German-occupied Holland. He was imprisoned and spent three years in a German POW camp. This gave him material for his first book A Crowd Is Not Company. It was first published as a novel in 1947 but was later revealed to be an autobiography. It recounts his experiences as a prisoner of war and his various escapes from the Nazi camp. The Times
describes it as "arguably the best POW book ever written."
His career in journalism began immediately after the Second World War. He worked for the Picture Post, then later became a special correspondent for The Sunday Times
and The Observer
. He was also literary editor of The Spectator
. In 1949 Kee was a witness at the marriage of his friend George Orwell
to Sonia Brownell.
In 1958 he moved to television. He appeared for many years on both the BBC
and ITV
as reporter, interviewer and presenter. He presented many current affairs programmes including Panorama
, ITN's First Report and Channel 4
's Seven Days. He was awarded the BAFTA Richard Dimbleby Award in 1976.
Kee wrote and presented the documentary series Ireland - A Television History in 1980. The work received great critical acclaim and was widely shown both in the United Kingdom and the United States. Following the series' transmission on RTÉ
, the Irish
national broadcaster, Kee won a Jacob's Award for his script and presentation.
As one of the "Famous Five" he launched TV-am
in 1983 along with Sir David Frost
, Anna Ford
, Michael Parkinson
and Angela Rippon
. He was also amongst those who successfully campaigned for the release of the Guildford Four, the Maguire Seven and the Birmingham Six
.
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
(born 5 October 1919 in Calcutta, 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...
) is a British broadcaster, journalist and writer, known for his historical works on 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...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
He was educated at Stowe School
Stowe School
Stowe School is an independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It was founded on 11 May 1923 by J. F. Roxburgh, initially with 99 male pupils. It is a member of the Rugby Group and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group...
, Buckingham, and read history at Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, where he was a pupil, then a friend of the historian A.J.P. Taylor.
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...
he served in 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...
as a bomber pilot. His plane was shot down over German-occupied Holland. He was imprisoned and spent three years in a German POW camp. This gave him material for his first book A Crowd Is Not Company. It was first published as a novel in 1947 but was later revealed to be an autobiography. It recounts his experiences as a prisoner of war and his various escapes from the Nazi camp. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
describes it as "arguably the best POW book ever written."
His career in journalism began immediately after the Second World War. He worked for the Picture Post, then later became a special correspondent for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
and 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,...
. He was also literary editor of The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
. In 1949 Kee was a witness at the marriage of his friend George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
to Sonia Brownell.
In 1958 he moved to television. He appeared for many years on both 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...
and 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...
as reporter, interviewer and presenter. He presented many current affairs programmes including Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
, ITN's First Report and Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Seven Days. He was awarded the BAFTA Richard Dimbleby Award in 1976.
Kee wrote and presented the documentary series Ireland - A Television History in 1980. The work received great critical acclaim and was widely shown both in the United Kingdom and the United States. Following the series' transmission on RTÉ
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
, the Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
national broadcaster, Kee won a Jacob's Award for his script and presentation.
As one of the "Famous Five" he launched TV-am
TV-am
TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast to the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 to 31 December 1992. It made history by being the first national operator of a commercial television franchise at breakfast-time , and broadcast every day of the week for most or all of the period...
in 1983 along with Sir David Frost
David Frost
Sir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...
, Anna Ford
Anna Ford
Anna Ford is a retired English journalist and television presenter, best known as a newsreader....
, Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
and Angela Rippon
Angela Rippon
Angela M. Rippon, OBE, born 12 October 1944, Plymouth, Devon, England, is an English television journalist, newsreader, writer and presenter. Rippon presented radio and television news programmes in South West England before moving to BBC One's Nine O'Clock News, becoming a regular presenter in 1975...
. He was also amongst those who successfully campaigned for the release of the Guildford Four, the Maguire Seven and the Birmingham Six
Birmingham Six
The Birmingham Six were six men—Hugh Callaghan, Patrick Joseph Hill, Gerard Hunter, Richard McIlkenny, William Power and John Walker—sentenced to life imprisonment in 1975 in the United Kingdom for the Birmingham pub bombings. Their convictions were declared unsafe and quashed by the Court of...
.
Works
- A Crowd Is Not Company (1947) POW memoirs, issued as a novel first, reissued 1982
- The Impossible Shore (1949) novel
- Beyond Defeat by Hans Werner RichterHans Werner RichterHans Werner Richter was a German writer.Born in Neu-Sallenthin, Usedom, Richter is little known for his own works but found worldwide celebrity and acknowledgment as initiator, moving spirit and "grey eminence" of the Group 47, the most important literary association of the German Federal Republic...
(1950) translator - The Five Seasons by Karl Eska (1954) translator
- A Sign Of The Times (1955) novel
- Vorkuta A Dramatic First Report on the Slave City in the Soviet Arctic by Joseph Scholmer (1955)
- Zero Eight Fifteen. The Strange Mutiny of Gunner Asch (1955)
- The Sanity Inspectors by Friedrich Deich (1956) translator
- Before the Great Snow by Hans Pump (1959) translator
- Broadstrop In Season (1959) novel
- The Betrayed by Michael Horbach (1959) translator
- Refugee World (1961)
- Officer Factory by Hans Hellmut Kirst (1962) translator
- Forward, Gunner Asch! By Hans Hellmut Kirst (1964) translator
- The Revolt of Gunner Asch (1964) translator
- The Return of Gunner Asch (1967) translator
- The Most Distressful Country (1972) The Green Flag vol.1
- The Bold Fenian Men (1972) The Green Flag vol.2
- Ourselves Alone (1972) The Green Flag vol.3
- Ireland: A History (1980)
- 1939: The Year We Left Behind (1984) as 1939: In the Shadow of the War (US)
- We'll Meet Again - Photographs of Daily Life in Britain During World War Two (1984) with Joanna Smith
- 1945: The World We Fought For (1985)
- A Journalist's Odyssey (1985) with Patrick O'Donovan and Hermione O'Donovan
- Trial & Error: the Maguires, the Guildford pub bombings and British justice (1986)
- Munich: The Eleventh Hour (1988)
- The Picture PostPicture PostPicture Post was a prominent photojournalistic magazine published in the United Kingdom from 1938 to 1957. It is considered a pioneering example of photojournalism and was an immediate success, selling 1,700,000 copies a week after only two months...
Album: A 50th Anniversary Collection (1989) - The Laurel and the Ivy: The Story of Charles Stewart Parnell and Irish Nationalism (1993)
- The Green Flag: A History of Irish Nationalism (2000) one-volume edition
- Another Kind of Cinderella (1997) stories, with Angela HuthAngela HuthAngela Huth is an English novelist and journalist.-Personal life and career:Huth is the daughter of the actor Harold Huth. She left school at age 16 in order to paint and to study art in both France and Italy. At 18 she travelled, mostly alone, across the United States before returning to England...