Shane Leslie (1885–1971)

4046 The End of a Chapter, By Shane Leslie, M.A. Cambridge (read 12 July 2005) This is a 1916 book of essays which I found quaintly enjoyable reading. He has a chapter on his links to the past--he is a first cousin to Winston Churchill, thru their mothers--and one on his time at Eton, another on his time at Cambridge (1904-1908), and on other interesting subjects. His comment on the outbreak of war in 1914: "it was as refreshing as going out after a scrap with domestics to listen to the show more thunderous skies gathering for a deluge. In a moment of time the troubles and worries and threatenings of politics became antediluvian, and the nation stepped down to do battle with the cleansing floods." A reaction reminiscent of Rupert Brooke's astonishing reaction to the same event:

Now, God be thanked Who has matched us with His hour,
And caught our youth, and wakened us from sleeping,
With hand made sure, clear eye, and sharpened power,
To turn, as swimmers into cleanness leaping,
Glad from a world grown old and cold and weary,
Leave the sick hearts that honour could not move,
And half-men, and their dirty songs and dreary,
And all the little emptiness of love! show less

Shane (John) Leslie was a son of Jennie Churchill's sister, and was a member of Churchill's circle when both men were young. He was a non-violent Irish Nationalist, but was sent by the British to the USA to smooth hostilities between the UK and the US after the execution of the Irish Nationalists after the Easter rising. As time passed he was less liked in Ireland than England, and had a moderately successful literary career. There are some interesting insights to be gleaned from these pages.

1614 Cardinal Gasquet: A Memoir, by Shane Leslie (read 25 Jan 1981) Gasquet was born in London on 5 Oct 1846 and died in Rome on 5 Apr 1929. He was created a Cardinal in May of 1914. He wrote some English history in the late 19th century, but I cannot believe his work is still worth reading. But English Cardinals are interesting, and Cardinal Gasquet is no exception, even though this book is loosely put together, repetitious, and not a biography.

1613 Henry Edward Manning: His Life and Labours, by Shane Leslie, M.A. (read 21 Jan 1981) I was quite disappointed in this book. It is not chronological, and apparently relies only on letters. It makes no attempt to use other sources to portray Manning's actual life. It assumes a far more knowledgeable person than I am as to 19th century events. It is a poorly done book and I was glad when I reached the last page.