The History behind “The Blue Pencil”
Added about 11 years ago by Sacristy Press
In the first of a series of insights into David Lowther’s thrilling wartime novel The Blue Pencil, we take a look into the fascinating history behind the story.
- Part 2: Roger Martin
- Part 3: Richard Walker
- Part 4: Claud Cockburn
May 1937. Neville Chamberlain becomes Prime Minister of Great Britain. Almost immediately, he embarks on a policy that will divide the nation: appeasing the European fascist dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. His motives – to avoid war – can’t be challenged, but his tactics will lead to one of the most shameful episodes in recent British history – the Munich Agreement of October 1938.
So single-minded is Chamberlain to see appeasement triumph, he determines to remove all opposition, starting with the German hating senior diplomat at the Foreign Office, Robert Vansittart. He ompletes the task by forcing the resignation of the anti-appeasement Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden.
Recognising the importance of the support of the written media, Chamberlain enlists the aid of his friend Geoffrey Dawson, Editor of The Times. Not all newspapers, however, will play ball and some start a campaign of harsh criticism of the government’s foreign policy. The Prime Minster reacts to this by enlisting the aid of two of his friends in the civil service whose job it is, by fair means or foul, to crush all those who demonstrate hostility to appeasement.
Roger Martin, a rookie reporter with a London evening newspaper, finds himself plunged headlong into the maelstrom of pre-war British politics. Soon he finds his liberty – and even his life – at stake as he seeks to find the dark truths behind the Prime Minister’s misguided attempts to avoid a war which, had more aggressive policies towards the dictators been adopted, might have been avoided.
Next time we will meet the characters – starting with our plucky journalist and the hero of the story, Roger Martin.
The Blue Pencil is available from Sacristy Press in paperback, hardback and e-book formats.
- Part 2: Roger Martin
- Part 3: Richard Walker
- Part 4: Claud Cockburn
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