Quennell, Sir Peter Courtney

▪ 1994

      British writer (b. March 9, 1905, Bickley, Kent, England—d. Oct. 27, 1993, London, England), was praised as one of the last men of letters owing to his wide-ranging knowledge, lucid style, and attention to language. By the age of 18, Quennell had published several of his poems and a book of verse, Masques and Poems. He attended (1923-25) the University of Oxford but did not take his studies seriously and left without a degree. Two more works, a novel and a book of verse, were not popularly received, but Quennell's wit and erudition helped gain him access to important literary circles. In 1934 he gained respect with the publication of Byron, the first in a series that included Byron: The Years of Fame (1935) and Byron in Italy (1941), which secured him a popular following and was one of his best-known works. Besides holding a job in an advertising agency in the late 1930s and accepting several government posts during World War II, Quennell wrote a biography, Caroline of England (1939), on the mistress of King George II. Quennell served as book reviewer (1943-56) of the Daily Mail and editor (1944-51) of The Cornhill Magazine, a respected literary publication. After the war he produced popular and accessible works on Shakespeare, Alexander Pope, William Hogarth, John Ruskin, and Samuel Johnson, among others. In 1951 he became coeditor of History To-day, a post he held until 1979. Quennell also contributed to periodicals, and he edited collections of essays, memoirs, and letters. He was knighted in 1992 and produced two autobiographical volumes: The Marble Foot (1976) and The Wanton Chase (1980).

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